Nowhere To Run
by J-James
Summary: **COMPLETED** Frank and company are in pursuit of an elusive killer, but is she everything they've been told she is?
1. Default Chapter

NOWHERE TO RUN  
By J-James  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: The characters contained within belong to NBC and Shane Salerno with the exception of Katherine Dawson who is a figment of my own demented imagination. No copyright infringement intended.  
  
  
Please read and review!! This is my first fanfic. Please be gentle.  
  
  
  
  
Dead end.  
  
Another dead end. The team had been trying to track down their elusive prey for well over a month now, and as of yet….no luck. Nerves were frayed and tempers were running high.  
  
"I can't even fucking believe this!!! Who the hell is this person!?!? The invisible woman?? We're always this close behind her! Or at least it seems that way. Maybe she was never here anyway."  
  
"Jake, calm down. We'll find her. We just need to regroup a little. Step back. Maybe we can't see the forest for the trees."  
  
"Monica. We've been on this damned case for well over two months now. A month tracking down sources and another blasted month on the road traveling from one city to another!! Maybe you need to step back and regroup a little!! We've been going on the information you gave us. Do you have any idea who the hell this woman is?? Or have you just been feeding us bull……"  
  
"That's enough Agent Shaw!!! We've all been working as hard as we can on this case. The profile Monica has given us is based solidly on the info the Bureau has given us, along with whatever leads you and Alex have dug up for us to follow. The final decision about where we head next has rested solely with me. If you've got a problem with that, then you can head back to Chicago. We'll finish this case without you. I don't need a hot head running off at the mouth! The decision is yours."  
  
Jake stared blankly at Frank. He knew his boss was right. It wasn't Monica's fault. It wasn't Frank's fault either for that matter. The situation was just so incredibly frustrating. Time after time it seemed that they had definitely cornered the slippery Katherine Dawson and time after time they were left empty handed. Jake hung his head and sighed heavily. *God I could use a drink right now!* Jake thought to himself.  
  
"I'm outta here."  
  
Now it was Frank's turn to stare. He knew Jake was prone to fits of rage when frustrated, but he didn't think he'd ever see him just walk away from a case. Frank also knew exactly how Jake felt. This case was different. Something about it felt different. Was it simply the fact that their suspect seemed to continually elude them so easily or was it something else. Something………. He was watching the younger agent's retreating back when Jake suddenly turned.  
  
"The hotel. I'm going back to the hotel. Not Chicago. I think there was a nice little bar off of the lobby. I'll be there if you pick up another lead. And no, I'm not going to get drunk. I just need to take the edge off before I go completely psycho and do something completely nuts like……like…..take Cody up on his offer to teach me how to play Dungeons and Dragons." Again he turned and headed down the street toward their hotel.  
  
Frank smiled. Just then the van door opened.   
  
"What's wrong with D and D? He makes it sound like some sort of torture. It's a time honored game, I'll have you know." Cody turned to see Alex and Frank both smiling at him. "Forget it! I wouldn't waste my time teaching him. It's way too complicated for him to understand anyway!" He knew what the others thought of him. A computer techno geek. That was fine with him, only he preferred the term computer techno wizard. The bottom line was, he knew they respected his abilities and he was proud of that fact. A man like Frank Donovan wasn't easy to impress, and although Frank had never stated as such, he knew that's what he meant when he said, "Good job". High praise indeed.   
  
Alex approached Frank. "If you don't need me here, I'm going to head back to the hotel with Jake. You know, try to talk him down off that ledge he's on right now." The truth was, she was feeling as on edge right now as Jake was, but she would have never blown up like he had. It just wasn't in her nature. She internalized too much, which probably could explain that ulcer her doctor told her she had. Yep, she could definitely feel that baby kicking into high gear right now. Jake needed his shot of whiskey. She needed her cigarette. After a cig or two and she'd be right as rain.  
  
"OK, head on back and see you both keep out of trouble", Frank said with a smirk, remembering all too well the time he was called at 3:30 in the morning to bail their asses out of jail. Something about causing a bar fight. He didn't ask. He didn't want to know, and frankly neither one seemed all too eager to fess up either. The next morning he simply stated to both that if anything like that happened again not only were they off his team but he'd make sure that neither one ever worked in law enforcement of any type again. Both took his advice, or at least he hoped they had.  
  
"Trouble?", Alex asked. "Not us" She winked and headed after Jake.  
  
Frank turned and headed toward the van just as Cody was getting out.  
  
"OK boss, what's the game plan? Think Ms. Dawson is heading back to this apartment building anytime soon?"  
  
"I doubt it. The apartment was completely empty when we got here, so either she left some time ago or she was never here to begin with."  
  
"Right. I'll come back here first thing in the morning and take down all of our surveillance equipment."  
  
"Why don't you take care of that right now, Cody"  
Cody started to respond with some smart ass remark, but he saw that Frank was staring at the van with a concerned look on his face. Monica had not said a word to anyone since Jake's little tirade. Cody knew that his boss was worried about how she was dealing with the accusations that their resident hot head had flung at her.  
  
"You know…..why put off until tomorrow, what you can do right now. Let me just get a few pieces of equipment and I'll be out of that perfectly cut hair of yours"   
  
Frank waited until Cody had left for the building before he entered the van. He found Monica at one of the computer consoles studying photos and statistics.  
  
"Jake's right. I've missed something. Something important, something vital. A crucial piece of the puzzle." She continued staring at the screen as if in a trance.  
  
"You haven't missed anything, and Jake had no right to say what he did. You're right. Maybe we are missing something vital, but it's not because it's been overlooked by any one of us. If we are missing a piece of this puzzle, it's because we don't have that piece yet. Not because you've overlooked it. And finding facts for this case is just as much Jake's responsibility as it is Alex's, Cody's, mine or yours."  
  
"Frank, look, I appreciate the pep talk. But I'm OK. Really. I know how Jake gets when things don't go as planned. He lashes out. It's just part of his personality, and I can accept that. But I guess the bigger question is…….where do we go now? We've exhausted every lead we've been given or dug up. I've been sitting here pouring over the same facts, and I'm at a loss. We've analyzed every centimeter of this girl's existence and we still can't find her. We've followed every logical course of action and still nothing."  
  
"Well, maybe it's time to follow the illogical." Frank and Monica both turned to see Cody standing just outside the van's door.   
  
Monica then turned to Frank and said, "Out of the mouths of geeks."   
  
"Hey! Wizard! I'm a wizard, not a geek. Geek implies being a dork. Wizards are cunning and clever. Get it right people!"  
  
Frank exited the van laughing. "Let's head out!"  
  
"Where to?", Monica asked, thinking back over the list of cities that they had visited over the last month. Los Angeles. New York. Atlanta. Greensboro. Miami. Houston. Albuquerque.   
  
"Chicago", was all he said before getting in his car to head off to round up Alex and Jake.   
*Follow the illogical.*   
Monica was right. They needed to regroup. Get a little perspective. And a little rest wouldn't hurt either.  
*Follow the illogical.*  
It was time to start over. Start fresh. Something his bosses wouldn't be happy about.   
They would see the maneuver as a sign of failure, and in a way they would be right. But from each failure, a lesson could be learned. And what they had learned so far form this case is that they can't keep thinking like cops. Every move they had made so far was one that any good law enforcement officer would have taken. Methodical. Logical.  
*Follow the illogical.*  
Yep, out of the mouths of geeks. 


	2. Chapter two

Nowhere To Run  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimers: See chapter one  
  
  
*God, I don't think I've ever felt this tired* Katherine was sitting at a traffic light in downtown Boise staring lifelessly at the cross traffic. She'd been on the run for longer than she cared to remember. New cities. New faces. New places to sleep, but only for a day or two at the most, because then it was always time to move on.  
  
As the traffic went whizzing by, she took a moment to look at herself in the rear view mirror. He blond hair was unkempt and in bad need of a cut. Her once sparkling green eyes were as lifeless as she felt with dark circles under each. *I look like shit* she thought to herself. She moved the mirror back into position and started to daydream of what she wished her life was like. A life she knew she'd never have. In her line of work, dreams seldom came true. But nonetheless……………  
  
Trees. She wanted to be around a great many trees. Mountains would be nice too, but not a necessity. But wherever it was, it definitely needed to be wide open with lots of land and lots of privacy. No neighbors peeking over the fences striking up conversations about barbecue grills or their latest home additions. She most certainly was not the gab with the neighbors type of gal. Even when she had been able to lead a semblance of a normal life, she was always the one in her apartment building that no one knew anything about. She'd just nod her head at them and be on her merry way, leaving them to gossip about god only knew what.  
  
On second thought………….mountains. She would certainly love to able to gaze out at the mountains every morning. Dwarfed by their immense size and grandeur, somehow her own problems would be put into perspective. A cabin of some sort would be all the shelter she would need. Nothing fancy or ornate. Just good simple clean living out in the middle of………..  
  
"Hey lady!!!! Move it!!! I'd like to get to work sometime before Christmas!!"   
  
Katie was startled and immediately began to move. She couldn't believe she'd been caught off guard like that. Stupid daydreams! She really had to pay more attention to what was going on around her. In her line of work, getting caught daydreaming could get you killed. *I really must be tired*  
  
A few minutes later she pulled into a rather non-descript motel just outside of town. A perfect place to hide out for the night. For the past month, she'd had the feeling that someone was following close behind her. She had a few contacts left that she still trusted, and they had informed her that a couple of people had been showing her picture here and there trying to dig up whatever info they could on her. Cops. They had to be. Actually Feds, more than likely. She'd been in 8 different states in the past 6 weeks and it was always the same people in pursuit. Definitely Feds.   
  
She got out of her car (stolen car in actuality) and removed the packages inside. Some food for the next couple of days as well as some other essentials. A pair of scissors and some hair dye. Time for a makeover. Goodbye blonde, hello mousy brown. Anything to make her fade into the background some more.   
She had come to a decision late last night as she lay awake staring at another hotel ceiling. She was tired of running. She could run for the rest of her life and never feel safe. Part of her even wanted to be caught at this point, but the other part of her wasn't ready to lay down and die just yet, And that's exactly what would happen to her if she got caught. She'd be dead. You don't cross the people she'd crossed and keep breathing. They'd make sure of that. And she was sure that was why she was being pursued as closely as she was. These people would never give up. They held all the cards.  
  
So a change in tactics was called for. No more running. She intended to do something they wouldn't anticipate. She'd hide in plain sight. Find a nice big city and stay put. Take on a new identity and just blend in with the rest of the world going about their normal day.   
  
Normal. She'd never known a so-called normal life. Her father had been a captain in the Army and all-in-all been stationed more places around the world by the time she was 15 than most people see in a life time. She never really made friends. No attachments meant it was easier when it came time to move on. Maybe that was why she had been so good at her job. She'd take on an assignment with no emotional involvement. Get in. Get the job done and get out. But somewhere along the way, it all went wrong. She'd trusted people she should never have trusted. A vital mistake in her line of work. Trust the wrong people, and you get dead. End of story. Well, she wasn't dead yet. Not yet.  
  
Katie took out the hair dye and scissors and took one last long look in the mirror.   
Yep, a change in tactics was called for. Hide in plain sight. These were her thoughts as she grabbed a fist full of hair and started to cut.  
  
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
Chicago - 2 days later  
  
Alex and Jake sat around the conference table waiting for everyone else.  
  
"You know you'd better put that out before he gets here," Jake said motioning to Alex's cigarette.  
  
"I know, I know. It's just that ever since this case began I've had this really bad feeling and the only thing that calms me down is this."  
  
"I thought I was the only one who thought something was odd about this case, " Cody said joining them at the table. "And Jake's right, you really need to put that out now. You know Frank. He'll ban you from smoking anyplace…….any time. And he'll find you too if you try it. The man can retask a satellite for Christ's sake!"  
  
"Let's get started," Frank said as he walked down the steps from his office followed closely by Monica. Alex quickly ducked under the table and put out the cigarette she was smoking.  
  
"Monica and I have been going over all of the available information that we have one more time. We're in agreement. We haven't missed anything." Frank took a second to look over at Jake who looked away sheepishly.  
  
"I've contacted the Bureau and asked them for any additional data that we may not have received from them originally. I don't think there will be anything, but it's a shot. So in the meantime, we start over." Frank waited until the grumbling subsided. "I know what this means to all of you. More long hours of pounding the pavement, but we really have little choice at this point. I'm not willing to go to the powers that be and tell them that we can't get the job done."   
  
He waited for that to sink in and then continued. "We know Katherine Dawson is out there, we've seen the evidence that she left behind on the trail we were able to follow. People don't just fall off of the face of the earth. We'll find her. We have to. She's a cold blooded killer, and it's our job to bring her to justice."  
  
  
"So here's the game plan. We follow the illogical."  
  
Alex and Jake just stared at Frank like he'd just grown a second head.  
  
"Follow the illogical, " Jake repeated incredulously. "Exactly what the hell does that mean?"  
  
"Cody," Frank said, "why don't you fill them in on your idea."  
  
Cody sat there with his mouth hanging open staring like a deer caught in headlights at his boss. "Me?" he managed to squeak. Frank merely nodded.  
  
*OK hotshot, you wanted a bigger role in this team. Here goes.* Cody thought to himself.  
  
"Everything we've done up to this point is exactly text book. We've done exactly what we're supposed to do when we're supposed to do it. If this woman knows anything about law enforcement, she would have been able to anticipate our moves long before we even made them. And more than likely most of what we had found along the way had been planted evidence. I mean, she never showed up on any of our video surveillance feeds. At least we didn't recognize her if she did. So maybe we've just spent the last 2 months chasing our own tails.   
  
"I say we stop thinking like cops and follow an illogical path. Given what we know about this woman, what would be the least likely course of action she would follow?  
And see where that takes us." With that Cody sat down and stared around the table at the faces of his fellow team members. Alex and Jake just looked sort of stunned. Monica was just nodding her head and busily writing on the paper in front of her and Frank…..well Frank almost looked……proud.  
  
Again Frank stood and faced the team. "So there you have it. What do you think?"  
  
Jake, still looking subdued said, "It just might work." Alex just nodded in agreement.  
  
"All right. We start phase 2 of this search on Monday," Frank said and then turned towards his office.  
  
"Monday??", Alex asked. "That's five days away!"  
  
"Exactly," Frank replied. "You all need some time off and this may be your last chance for awhile. Take advantage of it. Relax. Enjoy yourselves. Just be back her refreshed and ready to take this case on full force some Monday."  
  
Frank again headed for the stairs and stopped. "And Alex, if I catch you smoking in here again, you won't be safe anywhere. Get it?"  
  
Alex looked wide-eyed at Frank and nodded quickly.   
  
"Told you!" Jake laughed. 


	3. Chapter Three

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Three  
  
  
  
Frank had climbed the stairs to his office and had just started looking over Katherine Dawson's file once more when Monica entered.  
  
"What are you still doing here?" he asked, barely glancing up from the papers before him.  
  
"I thought maybe I could help you go over those files one more time."  
  
Frank put the papers down and looked at her. "Monica, go home. Enjoy your much deserved time off. And for the last time, you are NOT responsible for the chain of events that have led us nowhere. She's good." He said tapping the file in front of him. "She's very good. Probably more so than either one of us gave her credit for. So go home and come back on Monday morning and not a moment before because I need you to be 100%. I don't need a profiler who's doubtful of her abilities. Understand me?"  
  
"All right. I'm going. And Frank……" she paused in the doorway, "…….thanks."  
Frank gave her a smile and waved her away.   
  
He turned his attention back to the profile on his desk. He read over the facts for the umpteenth dozen time. Something just didn't add up. He had the same thought the first time he had read her file and even after all this time, he couldn't quite pinpoint the problem. He rubbed his eyes and stared blankly at the pages, eyes unfocused.  
  
"Go home Francis. Take your own advice and go home." He turned off the light and started to head out the door. As an afterthought he paused and grabbed the case file to take home with him. *Taking your work home with you…..now there's a new idea* he thought with a chuckle.   
  
25 minutes later Frank entered his apartment. He flung the papers that he had brought home with him on to the dining room table and proceeded to his bedroom to change into something more comfortable. A few minutes later he reemerged in his favorite jeans and t-shirt. He went into the kitchen and proceeded to pour himself a glass of the wine he had chilling in the refrigerator. Glass in hand, he sat down on the living room couch, propped his feet up on the coffee table and leaned his head back on the couch and shut his eyes.  
  
Too quiet. Music. That's what he needed. He set the wine glass down on the nearby table and proceeded to select a CD from his vast collection. Something that most people didn't know about Frank Donovan was that he had quite a wide range in tastes when it came to music. Rock. Blues. Jazz. Even a bit of country. Classical.   
You name it, he probably had at least one CD of it. It all depended on his mood. Tonight for some reason, he wanted something sultry. He chose a disc from a Latino artist he had heard of when he was in Madrid a few years ago.   
  
He sat on the couch once again and lost himself in the music and the taste of the wine. What started out as a relaxing evening soon changed for him. Something in the music. Why had he picked that particular type of music right now. He sat there for some time thinking about the rhythm and the beat of the music. The soulful sound of the singer's voice. He was singing about a lost love and the ensuing heartache. Frank slowly opened his eyes and looked around his rather meager apartment. The furnishings were comfortable but not extravagant. No personal photos adorned the mantelpiece above the fireplace. No personal touches of any sort could really be found around his home. It almost had a cold and antiseptic feel to it, and he wondered, not for the first time, if it would always be this way.   
  
Frank had been on his own from a relatively early age. His father had been killed when Frank was still fairly young. It still felt like yesterday when his grandfather had come to tell him what had happened. Frank and his mother had been staying with her parents in Barcelona when the news arrived. Frank's father had been killed while on assignment in Columbia. His father had been a journalist with an American newspaper and had been assigned to cover a story about a drug cartel. Unfortunately, he got too close to the action and was caught in the cross fire between two rival drug families. His mother had been devastated. Although not an overly affectionate woman to begin with, she had become even less so after Frank's father was killed. She withdrew even further into her shell of an existence and Frank was left to heal by himself. His grandparents did all that they could for the boy, but they feared that what he really needed they could not give him. So Frank grew up learning to depend on himself and no one else. He kept his emotions to himself, just like his mother had. Even at his mother's funeral some ten years later, Frank showed little emotion. He'd learned well from her.  
  
Suddenly Frank couldn't stand the music anymore. It made him think and feel things he'd rather not face. So he turned off the stereo and found something to occupy his mind. Work.  
  
He found the case file on the table and opened it once again. Instead of picking up the stats sheets, he instead picked up the girl's photo. He stared at the woman's likeness. She was a pretty woman. Blonde hair and piercing green eyes. He absently wondered if she wore contacts. Her eyes were an almost unnatural shade of green. Almost jade, but brighter. High cheekbones. A hint of dimples on her cheeks. Her hair in the photo was long. Hanging well past her shoulders. It was shiny with an almost silky look to it. He wondered if it would feel as soft as it looked.  
  
"Where the hell did that thought come from??" he wondered out loud. "Who the hell cares if her hair is soft? The woman has reportedly killed over 15 people in cold blood. And here I am wondering how it would feel to run my fingers through her hair!"  
  
Frank stood suddenly and closed the folder in front of him. He backed away from the table like he was afraid to turn his back on it. *I need to get out of here* He thought. Now.  
  
He'd already had two glasses of wine so instead of taking a drive, he decided to get out and walk a bit. It was after midnight, but he figured he was safe. After all he was a federal agent and armed. If anyone messed with him, he could deal with it.  
  
A few blocks later, he found himself in front of a small local bar. Funny, he'd never noticed it before. He drove this direction every day going to work. It was just one of those buildings that seemed to fade into the background. But somehow tonight, it was all but inviting him to go inside. So he took up the invitation.  
  
He was right. It was small. Maybe 8 tables and a long bar made of heavy oak. At one end of the bar was a rather large TV showing a baseball game in it's 12th inning. Who was playing? He had no idea. But the game seemed to hold the attention of just about all of the bar's few inhabitants. He leisurely strolled to the bar and sat down.  
  
"What can I get for ya?" asked the man behind the bar.  
  
"I'll just have a beer. Whatever you have on tap is fine." Frank answered.   
  
The bartender brought the drink and eyed Frank for a few heartbeats. "New around here? I don't think I've seen you before." The man asked.  
  
"I live a couple of streets over and just happened to find your place here while I was out walking. Seemed like a nice place so I thought I'd stop in."  
  
The man chuckled. "Nice place, huh? Yeah, I guess you could say that. It's comfortable at least. The names Brendan McCauley by the way." he said extending his hand.  
  
"Frank Donovan. It's nice to meet you Mr. McCauley," Frank replied while gripping the man's hand.  
  
"Please. Call me Mac. Everyone else does. Frank Donovan, eh? Funny. You don't look Irish."  
  
Frank laughed at that. "My father was Irish/American. My mother was Spanish. I guess I take more after her side of the family than his."  
  
"That might explain it then. Well you're welcome in our little Irish pub nonetheless, Francis Donovan. It is Francis, isn't it?", Mac asked with one raised eyebrow.  
  
Frank once again laughed. He liked this man immediately. "Yes it is, but my mother always called me Francisco."  
  
"Well Francis. By way of welcome, this drink is on the house. And I hope to see more of ya from time to time should you wonder this way again."  
  
"I think I'll make a point of doing just that. From time to time."  
  
Frank finished his beer and one more all while enjoying the atmosphere and joining in the idle chit chat going on around him. All too soon it was time to go. He thanked Mac for the beer and headed on home. *I'll definitely have to come back here again* he thought to himself while walking back to his place.  
  
///////////////////////////////////////  
  
During the following few days, Frank found himself drawn more and more to Katherine's picture. It was as if staring at the photo would somehow help him crawl inside her head so he could help to understand her.   
  
He found himself with more and more questions and no answers. Not the least of which was, how does a beautiful woman end up being a paid assassin? Not that being beautiful had any bearing on anything. So she was beautiful. So what? So she has silky soft hair, mesmerizing eyes and full, luscious lips.  
  
"Oh my God!! I'm losing it!" Frank growled in frustration, running a hand through his hair. Again he closed the file folder and walked away. "Stop looking at it, you idiot! You're supposed to be thinking about getting inside her head, not getting inside her pants!"  
  
Frank looked up at the clock. Nearly 9:30. Again, he felt this overwhelming need to get out of his apartment. *Mac. I'll go over to Mac's bar and have a couple of drinks. That ought to help clear my mind a bit* he thought.  
  
Frank grabbed his jacket and exited. Once outside, he immediately felt better. It was nearly autumn and the leaves had already started to fall. There was a briskness to the air that hinted of colder weather to come. All in all, it was invigorating. Just what he needed.   
  
A few blocks over, Frank entered Mac's bar. "Francis! How are ya? You said you'd be back, and here ya are!"  
  
"Hey Mac. How have you been?"  
  
"Oh not too bad. Although it wouldn't help to complain if I were" he answered with a wink. "The usual?" Frank nodded. *The usual? I've only been here once, and I've already got a usual* he smiled to himself.  
  
After Mac brought over his beer, Frank started to look around the place. A couple of the customers were ones that he had seen the first night. Regulars, he supposed. A few new faces, but still ones that looked like they belonged here. And then he saw a woman at that other end of the bar. She was younger than the rest of the crowd. Late twenties, or early thirties. It was hard to tell in the dim lighting. She had her head down for the most part just sipping on her cocktail. The rest of the bar's inhabitants were either engaged in conversation or watching the TV. She was doing neither. Maybe she was waiting for someone. But then again, she didn't seem to be looking for anyone either.   
  
Mac came over a while later with another beer. Frank took the opportunity to ask a question.  
  
"You seem to know everyone here, am I right?"  
  
"I take pride in that, my friend. I've known the name of every customer who's ever set foot through that door."  
  
"The woman at the end of the bar, you know her name?" Frank asked.  
  
Mac gave a conspiratorial wink. "Ah, she's caught your eye, has she? She's a pretty lass, to be sure. Just a little on the quiet side. Her name is Amanda Blake. She drops by here every few days. Been coming here for just a few weeks I believe. Hardly talks to a soul. Has her few drinks and then quietly leaves. Why don't you go talk to her, Francis. Maybe she'd prefer the conversation with someone closer to he own age than with one of us fuddy duddies."  
  
Seeing Frank hesitate, he added, "Go on then. Times a wasting!"  
  
//////////////////////////////////////  
  
She'd seen him walk in the bar. He would be hard to miss in any crowd. Even in the bar's muted lighting, she could tell he was devastatingly handsome. Almost painfully so. She tried to watch him without him seeing her. And when he started talking to the bartender, she knew they were talking about her. Her heart began racing. Why were they looking her way? What could they possibly be saying? Then she saw Mac mix another drink. Her drink. But instead of bringing it to her, she handed the glass to the man at the other end of the bar and motioned for him to bring it to her.  
*Oh dear Lord!!!* He was walking her way!  
  
"Excuse me. You looked like you could use another drink."   
  
She sat there momentarily stunned. Something about the sound of his voice left her paralyzed. She didn't think she'd ever heard a more soothing sound before. Mustering up whatever courage she had, she finally turned to face him.  
  
Frank waited nervously for the woman to look at him. The way she sat there stone still for a second made him believe that she'd rejected him before even looking at him. Then she slowly turned towards him. He looked into the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. Stunning. He'd never seen eyes like them before. Maybe once, but that was…………….  
  
Then the realization hit. 


	4. Chapter Four

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Four  
  
  
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Thanks so much to those that have reviewed my story so far!! First times can be nerve wracking! Thanks again!  
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Frank stared at the woman sitting in front of him, stunned. His muscles refused to obey him. His mouth wouldn't work. He simply stared at her for what seemed to be an eternity, but in reality was a mere few seconds.   
  
It was her. Katherine Dawson. The eyes were unmistakable. The hair had changed and that somehow made the shape of her face seem different. But the eyes………he'd gazed at those eyes in the photo back in his apartment for hours on end.  
  
He and his team had searched for this woman for the past 9 weeks and the whole time she had been right under their noses. A mere 2 blocks from his own apartment.  
Cody had been right. This was the last thing that he had suspected this woman to do. He had expected to have to hunt her down in some little backwoods town or maybe even in a foreign country, but certainly never in a million years had he expected to find her in his own backyard. Almost literally.   
  
As he continued his perusal, his mind began to race with possible scenarios on how he was going to be able to get her out of here with no bloodshed. She was a killer. He had every reason to believe that she was armed at this very second. And from her track record, she was very good at what she did. Then he remembered………..  
  
*I don't have a gun with me*  
In his haste to vacate his apartment, he'd left his own weapon behind.   
  
He had no doubt that he could physically overpower her, but if she was armed, the chances of him being able to take her down without putting the patrons of the bar in harm's way was doubtful. He glanced briefly around the pub, weighing his options, and those options were not promising. Risk the lives of everyone in the room? Try to find a phone to place a call to the PD or to one of his team? Or maybe………maybe he could charm her into leaving with him. Once outside, he'd have a better shot at taking control of the situation. That, it seemed, was his only viable option. It just might work.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked with some concern. "Mister?"  
  
Frank was shaken from his reverie. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"  
  
"I asked if you were alright? You look like you're about to faint or something. Maybe you'd better sit down before you fall down."  
  
Katherine had nervously watched the man who had approached her. After she had turned to look at him he seemed to have gone into some sort of trance. His eyes had grown wide and then seemed to dart here and there without really focusing on any one thing. This all happened in the space of a heartbeat, and then his face took on a terribly controlled look. A look that said he was hiding something. And THAT made her apprehensive. But during the whole episode, he seemed to have paled considerably. Maybe he was sick. Maybe he was as nervous as she was, but never before in her life had she ever had that type of effect on any man. Maybe he knew who she was? That last thought made her blood run cold.   
  
"Mac? Can you get this gentleman a cup of coffee or something? He doesn't seem to be feeling very well."   
  
"I'm fine," Frank said trying to intercept the bartender before he brought the cup over. "I think I just might be coming down with a cold or something. You know, the change in the weather and all." Frank knew it sounded like a flimsy excuse, but he needed a minute or two to regain his faculties. He had been totally unprepared for what was transpiring, and he hated to be unprepared for anything.  
  
"Are you sure Francis? You do look a bit on the pale side. Let me bring you that coffee just the same. That'll perk ya up a bit."  
  
"Thanks Mac."  
  
Frank again turned to Katherine. *Amanda. He reminded himself. Call her by her alias, not her real name, or the jig would be up, so to speak.*  
  
"Let's start again," Frank said. "I'm Frank. And you are…….?" he asked extending his hand toward her. As he did so, he noticed the look on her face. It was one of quiet mistrust. This had started out badly and he was in an uphill battle if he would have any chance of getting her to leave quietly with him.  
  
"Amanda," she returned simply taking his hand.  
  
"Amanda. Pretty name. Are you from around here, Amanda?"  
  
"I live close by."  
  
"No, I mean are you from Chicago originally?"  
  
"I am actually. Born and raised. I'll probably die here too." She grimaced slightly as the words left her mouth. Dying. Now there was a lively topic of conversation.  
  
She still felt on edge around this man, but then there was something…….something overwhelmingly appealing about him. Maybe it was just his stunning good looks. Maybe it was his warm brown eyes. Maybe it was the way he said her name , that sent shivers down her spine. Maybe it was the way her hand felt in his. Maybe it was that utterly enticing bottom lip of his. *Whoa girl!! Get a grip!!!* At that moment, she realized that he was staring at her again. Probably waiting for an answer to…………..  
  
"I'm sorry, what was that?"  
  
Frank chuckled. "I asked what you did for a living. We both seem to be a little out of it tonight. If you'd prefer, I could leave you alone with your drink. Neither one of us seems to be much of a conversationalist this evening."  
  
"No! Don't go!" She suddenly very much did not want to be left alone. Strange. Just a few moments ago, she totally mistrusted this man and now she was practically begging him to stay and talk with her. She still didn't trust him, but then, she didn't trust anyone. Not after the events of the last year.  
  
Frank eyed her curiously. He could tell from the look in her eyes just a few seconds ago that she was keeping him at arm's length, but now her eyes told a different story. She almost seemed……..desperate. After he had begun talking with her, he had formulated another plan. End their conversation and exit quickly so that he could contact his team so that they would be ready for her when she left the bar later. Clean and neat.  
  
Now he was staring at those eyes. And suddenly, he didn't want to leave. Again he was struck with the thought…….how could this beautiful woman be a cold hearted killer. He was very well aware that no criminal was completely evil. In fact most lived relatively normal lives. Wives, husbands, children, close friends, family, houses with white picket fences, etc.  
  
Maybe there was more here than met the eye. Every instinct in him told him to leave. But every fiber in his being felt riveted to that very spot. Her eyes held him. He quickly made a decision. He'd go with his original plan. Wait for her to leave. Leave with her. Take her down when she was away from any crowds. That was the plan.  
  
"Are you sure you want me to stay?"   
  
"Please?" the sound of that one word was drenched with desperation.   
  
He looked at her for what seemed like forever and finally said, "Let's get a little more comfortable. Why don't we move to one of the tables away from the TV. I don't know about you, but I could care less who's batting clean-up for the Dodgers."  
  
At that she smiled and gave a short laugh. Frank looked at that smile and knew he was in trouble. When she smiled, her whole face lit up. And he was struck by how very much he wanted to see that smile again.   
  
And so it began. The conversation was stilted at first. You know, the type of first meeting conversation. Where are you from? Lived here long? What are your favorite foods? Inane questions meant to get a feel for the other person. The one question that both seemed to dance around was….what do you do for a living? Neither really answered and somehow neither noticed or cared.   
  
Soon the conversation turned more personal in nature. Cherished childhood pets. Embarrassing school time antics. First dates. The answers mattered little. The connection that they both felt was all that either seemed interested in. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. And before either knew what was happening, Mac was announcing last call.   
  
Suddenly Frank was hit face on with the reality of the situation. He knew what his responsibilities were. He knew his job was to take her down. But somehow during the evening, he'd begun to doubt. Maybe this wasn't really Katherine Dawson. The hair was very different. The woman before him wore her brown hair in a bob style, short to just below her chin and bangs ending right above her eyes. The effect was radically different from the picture of the blonde that was at this moment laying on his coffee table. But those eyes. He couldn't be mistaken about the eyes. Or could he? The lighting in the bar could be described as subdued at best. Dim was more like it. Maybe they weren't the exact same shade of green. Maybe the resemblance was just uncanny. Maybe he had just been studying the photograph in the file for way too long.   
  
And the woman that he had just spent the better part of the evening with was anything but cold-hearted. She'd laughed easily and shared her thoughts and feelings with him without a moment's hesitation. At least that had been the way it had seemed after the ice was broken initially. He could say the same about any relationship he'd ever started in his well-ordered life. *Relationship?????*  
  
"Ok folks, I hate to say it, but I'm afraid it's closing time," Mac announced. "It's been a real pleasure to see both of you again, and I hope I'll see you around here again real soon"  
  
Frank and Katherine both slowly walked to the door and gave Mac their farewells. Once outside, both seemed at a loss as to what to do.   
  
"Can I walk you home?" Frank finally asked.  
  
Katherine stared at Frank for what seemed like an eternity. She wanted very much for him to come home with her. This evening had been the most enjoyable she'd spent in………..God, she didn't even know how long, but something held her back. Fear. As connected as she felt to the man right now, she knew she couldn't risk letting anyone get close to her. Not now. Maybe not ever.   
  
She turned away as a wave of sadness crept over her. Not ever…………….. The idea was absolutely overwhelming. To think that she could never let anyone physically or emotionally get close to her again was painful to say the least.   
  
Suddenly she turned back to Frank, raised up on her toes and kissed him on the lips. It wasn't a passionate kiss. Just the type you give to a friend or family member, but the electricity that she felt in those few seconds was almost blinding. She could swear that her heart had stopped beating while she stared wide-eyed at him. But in the space of what could have only been a millisecond, she regained her composure. The emotional walls that she had taken a lifetime to build were instantly in place once more. She had to just walk away.  
  
"No thanks Frank. I'll be fine. I just live around the corner." And with that she turned heel and left.   
  
Frank stared after her. Dumbfounded, he just stood there the same as he had when he had first seen her face to face this evening. He was watching her walk away. Not moving. Not pursuing. He was letting her walk away. He was allowing her to escape. But then, was he 100% sure that this Amanda Blake was really Katherine Dawson? At the beginning of the evening he had been so sure, but now…..?? And anyone who knew Frank Donovan would have been stunned at what he did next. He turned from her and left.  
  
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Frank returned to his apartment a short time later. As he entered, he once again looked around at his place. Antiseptic. Cold. Empty. He thought back over the events of the evening. During the walk home, he had convinced himself that Amanda was not Katherine. There was no way she could be. The woman he had met tonight was warm and funny, intelligent and witty. And somehow that profile didn't jive with what he knew about their suspect. A woman who killed for profit couldn't be any of those things. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew differently, but he chose to ignore it. If he truly believed that they were one and the same woman, how could he justify his actions this evening. He couldn't. Frank Donovan could never have let a cold blooded killer walk free. It would never happen.   
  
Somehow that thought seemed to free him. He was now sure that Amanda was just a she appeared to be. A beautiful woman who he was incredibly attracted to. A woman he wanted to know more about. A woman he wanted, no needed, to spend more time with. Again, he looked around and somehow the room seemed brighter, warmer. He suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.  
  
And then he thought about the kiss they had shared. Her lips were warm and soft just as he had imagined they would be. The connection he had felt with her at that moment had been incredible. Never had such a simple act moved him so profoundly as that kiss had. How much he had wanted to grab hold of her and show her what a real kiss between them could be like. The thought left him dizzy. Maybe next time.   
  
Just then, he spied the case file on the coffee table. He stopped dead in his tracks.   
*Don't touch it! You've seen what's inside a thousand times. Nothing's changed.*  
  
He was frozen to the spot. Everything inside him was screaming for him to just walk away. But all he could do was stare in disbelief as he felt himself reach for the folder.  
He picked up the papers and ran his hand absently over the front cover. Opening the file again would change nothing. Would it? He was sure. Right? So why was he afraid to look at her picture again.  
  
Even as opened the folder, he already knew the answer. If there had been any doubt before it died when he saw those eyes. The same eyes he stared into for over 5 hours.  
The same eyes he had stared at hour after hour while pursuing this case. There was no doubt. And inside him, something was slowly dying.  
  
He'd let her walk away. 


	5. Chapter Five

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Five  
  
  
  
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Again, thanks sooooo much for the nice reviews. You have no idea how much it means to me. (OK, maybe you do *wink*) ^_-  
  
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Monday morning -- 8AM  
  
Whistling. *Who the hell is whistling* Alex thought. Just then a very upbeat Jake Shaw entered the Nest.   
  
"OK, I'll bite. What's got you in such a great mood? Or should I ask WHO'S got you in such a great mood?" she asked.  
  
"I'll have you know, girls have nothing to do with it," Jake replied. To which Alex just smirked and raised one eyebrow.   
  
"Get your head out of the gutter, Cross! Geez, can't a guy just have a nice time without sex of any sort coming into play!?!"  
  
"Yeah, a guy can. You just usually don't."  
  
"Well, not that it's any of your business but I spent the entire five days helping out at the orphanage. We were able to finish that new playground that the kids have been waiting for. It just felt good to put in a long, hard strenuously fulfilling day. After the events of the last couple of months, it was nice to feel like I'd accomplished something. End of story."  
  
"What about you Alex? What did you do with your time off?" he asked as he made his way over to grab a cup of coffee.  
  
"I slept."  
  
"You slept?………….. That's it?"  
  
"Let me think……..yep, that pretty much sums it up. There was the occasional meal, but for the most part, peaceful, restful, dreamless slumber." Jake just stared at her incredulously. "Hey to each his own, Shaw!"  
  
Jake threw his hands up in surrender, "All right. Forget I asked!"  
  
"What about you Cody? Any super computer sales? Star Trek convention?" Jake asked with a chuckle.   
  
Cody turned in his chair to glare at both Jake and Alex, who was trying with all her might not to laugh out loud. It had taken all her willpower not to spit coffee all over the conference table to begin with.  
  
"I want you both to remember something," Cody began, "I'm the guy that makes sure we know where both of you are at all times. I'm the one who takes care of those mics that you wear undercover. Now wouldn't it be a shame if somehow, someday those gadgets break down at the most inopportune moment? Then what would happen?"  
  
"Donovan would shoot you." Monica added quietly from across the room. She glanced up at her co-worker briefly before continuing, "He would too. In a heartbeat," she added with a smile. Cody seemed to consider the possibility and lost the smug look on his face.  
  
"Hey, where is Donovan?" Jake asked. "It's not like him to be late."  
  
"He isn't late. He's in his office. I got here at 7:15 and he was already here." Monica stated.  
  
All four turned to look up at his office windows. The lights were on, but no movement could be detected.  
  
"He wasn't here all weekend, was he?" Alex asked to no one in particular.   
  
There was a long pause, but Jake finally chimed in. "Nah, I'm sure he went home. He just likes to be early. Probably checking in with the big wigs, filling them in on the case." All heads nodded in agreement, but none were exactly sure of anything when it came to Frank Donovan. Especially when it came to his personal life. They assumed he had one. Everyone did. Didn't they?  
  
As if on cue, Frank's office door opened and his footsteps could be heard coming down the staircase. All eyes turned to him as he neared the conference table.   
  
"Good morning. I'm assuming everyone got some much needed rest during your brief time off."  
  
"God knows Alex did," Jake volunteered. "In fact I think she got enough rest for all of us." He was rewarded with a pencil thrown in his direction which he easily ducked.  
  
Frank smiled briefly. "Well good. Now we get back down to work."  
  
"Sounds great. But where do we start, if I might inquire?"  
  
Frank turned to Cody. "I'm glad you asked."  
  
"Cody….I want you to dig up any and all info on one Amanda Blake. Cross reference her background with what we know about Ms. Dawson. Check all federal, state and local data bases."  
  
"Monica…..I want you to go over Katherine Dawson's file one more time. I know we've combed through that file a hundred times, but I want you to look for inconsistencies, or should I say the possible lack thereof. I have a hunch and I want to see if you agree with my assumption."  
  
"Jake…..Alex….. I want you to start a door to door search in a 6 block radius of this address." After handing them the sheet with an address for McCauley's Bar on it, he continued. "And I want you to use this picture while you're doing that search."  
  
He passed out several copies of a police artist's sketch. It showed a woman in her early thirties with brown hair and a blunt cut hairdo. Chin length with bangs.  
  
"We've got a lot of work to do, so let's get to it." Frank turned to leave, but stopped when Jake interrupted his exit.  
  
"Mind telling us where you got these leads? We all figured that we'd be starting from square one today, and here you are with a name, photo and a search perimeter. What gives? You been holding out on us?" Jake asked with some irritation in his voice.  
  
"Exactly what are you implying Agent Shaw?" Frank returned. His voice taking on a slightly intense edge.  
  
"I'm just saying, we worked our collective tail ends off for over two months on this case and in the course of 5 days when we were all supposed to be taking some time off, you miraculously come up with a handful of info from seemingly out of nowhere.  
I'm just asking for an explanation. That's all. No need to get defensive."  
  
"May I remind you Jake that I'm your superior. I don't have to explain myself to you at any time. Got it?" he said through clenched teeth as he turned to go.  
  
"Excuse me sir!" Jake started, emphasizing the "sir". "May I point out, sir, that if I or anyone else had shown up this morning with these types of leads, you'd be grilling us for an explanation on how we had obtained that information. Isn't that right, sir?"   
Jake was barely holding on to his temper.   
  
The others in the group were nervously watching the exchange between the two men. As much as they all had to agree with Jake on this point, they also knew that you could only push their boss so far. Monica especially was aware that Jake was very near to pushing Frank over the edge. She had been watching him intently since the dialogue had begun, There was something in her boss' demeanor this morning. A look in his eyes that she'd never seen before. Something she'd noticed even before their discussion had started, and it worried her. Maybe when he returned to his office later, she'd try to speak to him privately.  
  
Frank turned slowly to face the younger agent. His eyes blazed with a barely controlled fury. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice told him that Jake was right. If any of his team had presented this type of lead to the group, he would have demanded the source. But at this moment, he chose to ignore that voice. He slowly approached Jake, giving the impression of a wild animal stalking his prey. When he was scarcely a foot away, he said in a quiet, controlled voice, "Are you questioning my ability to run this team Agent Shaw?"  
  
Jake stared wide-eyed at the taller man. From the moment Frank had turned to face him, he knew that he'd crossed the line. He'd seen Donovan angry before, but this was different. The look in his eyes told him to tread lightly. He knew he had to diffuse the situation and quickly, but damn it, he knew he was right! As Frank approached him, for a moment, Jake was actually scared. As his boss drew nearer, he actually took a step backwards only to run into the wall.  
  
"Frank. Of course I'm not questioning your abilities. I'm just saying that if all this had come from me, you'd want an explanation. That's all. I think we're entitled to an explanation."  
  
"Entitled?" Frank asked still barely keeping his anger in check.  
  
"Yeah. I don't think that's too much to ask."  
  
"Let me remind you again Jake, I don't have to answer to you or to anyone else in this group. We'll go where I say and when." Frank began again to turn to go back towards the steps to his office when he added, "If you don't like that, get over it."  
  
Jake was dumbfounded. He never in a million years would have expected Donovan to say something like that. And true to form, he couldn't just let that last remark go unchallenged.  
  
"Who the hell do you think you………………"   
  
Jake couldn't finish his sentence because in a flash he found himself thrown against the wall with Frank's forearm across his throat and a gun in his face. The look on his boss' face was one of absolute rage and for more than a few seconds Jake actually feared for his life. *Donovan won't actually shoot me, right?* His instinct told him "no", but the look in Frank's eyes made him question that.  
  
The others in the room had been watching the exchange with more than a little trepidation. All three felt the tension between the two escalating quickly, but they sat glued to their seats unsure of how to intervene. But when Frank suddenly had Jake pinned to the wall, the three jumped into action.  
  
Monica quickly took the initiative. "Frank," she began calmly, "put the gun down. You've made your point. You know you're not seriously going to shoot Jake, so put the gun down." But even as the words left her mouth, like Jake, for a moment she doubted. "Jake didn't mean to question your authority," she continued. "We've all been under a lot of stress on this case, and I'm sure that's why you're doing this. Stress. That's all it is. Now put the gun down and back away."   
  
Monica could see Frank relaxing his grip on Jake and on the gun, so she knew she was getting through to him. During the time that she had begun to talk to their boss, Alex had quietly slipped out to retrieve her own gun from the weapon's cabinet. Just in case. Cody stood by his computer terminal ready to signal for help if it should come to that.   
  
"Frank," Monica continued, "give me the gun and we'll be done with this. Everyone can cool down and we'll talk about it."   
  
With his arm still across Jake's throat and his gun still pointed at him, Frank turned his head slightly in order to look at Monica. He saw the look in her eyes and knew she was afraid. Afraid of him. At that thought, he closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. When he opened them again, Monica saw that the anger had subsided, replaced by regret and shame. He turned back to Jake and saw not only fear but confusion. *How did things get so out of hand so quickly. How could I have drawn my gun on one of my own people??*  
  
Frank slowly released Jake and gently handed his weapon to Monica. His eyes were still locked on Jake's. *How can I explain what happened here?* he thought to himself.  
  
"Jake," he started, "I'm…….so sorry. I really don't know what came over me. Maybe Monica's right. Maybe the stress of this case has gotten to me. But that's no excuse for my actions. I hope you can forgive me and believe that I would never intentionally cause you any harm. But the bottom line is, what just happened is inexcusable. If you want to bring me up on charges I won't stop you. I'd deserve it if you did."   
  
Jake just stared at Frank for a few moments. This was a man he looked up to, someone he admired. Frank Donovan always seemed so in control of every situation. Always knew what actions to take. Always knew the right things to say. The man he'd seen this morning had none of those qualities. It was almost like looking at a complete stranger. *I guess everyone has a breaking point* he thought to himself. The question was, could he continue to work with this man after what had just happened.   
  
"Donovan, look, I don't know what just happened here, but I'm willing to talk about it. Maybe Monica is right. Maybe this is just a case of one too many straws on that camel's back. I don't know. Maybe we all expect too much from you. You always seem to be in control of every situation we've ever been in. I guess we just take for granted that none of this ever gets to you. At least it never seemed that way before. I suppose that today we found out that you're human after all."   
  
Frank looked at Jake incredulously. *He's actually going to forgive me for this* He was stunned. He took a few seconds to look around at the others in the room. Monica was still looking at him with great concern on her face. *No doubt analyzing my actions at this very second* Alex and Cody both just looked relieved. He also quickly realized that Alex was holding a gun. *She would have gunned me down without barely hesitating if anything had happened to Jake* he thought coolly.  
  
"I don't deserve your forgiveness Jake, but I do appreciate it. More than you know. I think you and I and Monica should talk in my office. What do you think?"  
  
"You got it. Just one last thing though."  
  
"What's that?" Frank asked nervously.  
  
"You put a gun in my face again, and by way of payback, I get Cody to explain to you how that network interface of his works."  
  
Frank turned to look at Jake and saw the humor in his eyes. *Incredible. I threatened his life not five minutes ago and now he's joking with me!* he thought.  
  
Jake added, "Paybacks can be hell."  
  
"I'll remember that," Frank replied. 


	6. Chapter Six

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Six  
  
  
  
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Many, many thanks for all the positive reviews!!!!   
  
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Frank sat alone in his office and relived the events of the past few hours.  
  
*I pulled a gun on one of my own!*   
  
He scrubbed his hands roughly over his face and gave an exasperated sigh. *Am I really THAT tired?* he questioned himself. He'd been on harder cases, worse cases than this one at least a dozen times over. So why now? *You've lost control, Francis. Plain and simple. You've put your emotions and feelings before the needs and demands of the case.*  
  
He rose from the desk and went to stare out the window. "God, I really hate the city," he said out loud to himself. Truth be told, it wasn't Chicago he hated. It was every city. Crowded. Dirty. That's how he always saw them. No matter where he was. No matter what country. He longed for wide open spaces and the freedom that came with that. He sighed heavily knowing that was one dream that he'd never be able to have.  
  
He wandered over to the windows overlooking the main floor. He saw his team members working diligently at the assignments that he had given them.   
  
Cody had already outfitted Jake and Alex with the mics and cameras that they would be wearing while out on their search, and was now busily typing away at his terminal trying to find all the information that he could dredge up on Amanda Blake and Katherine Dawson.  
  
Monica was reviewing Katherine's file one more time and busily taking notes. He wondered if she would have the same conclusions that he had arrived at while he last perused her file.  
  
Jake and Alex were pouring over the map of the search area, dividing up the territory so that no stone would be left unturned.  
  
He watched them all with amazement. When he first took over as their leader, he was not impressed to say the least. He had at first found Cody to be nothing but a smart mouthed pain. Monica had been so unsure of her abilities that she was hesitant to share her viewpoints with him. Alex, he feared, would always become emotionally entangled in whatever operation they would become involved in. And Jake…….Jake, he thought, was nothing but a careless, over-confident hot head.  
  
He wondered how they would react if he ever told them that when he took over leadership of this command he had been given carte blanche. The powers that be had told him that he was free to make whatever personnel changes he felt necessary, and that he had his pick of just about anyone involved with the justice department. During the course of their first case together, he had come very close to calling his boss and telling him that he wanted the whole team replaced. Only one thing had stopped him. He saw in each of them, some potential. He felt that given the right support and training, that this group could become a force to be reckoned with. They may not see eye to eye on everything but he had come to value each of their opinions and input. Even from Cody, he thought with a smile.  
  
He turned back around and sat down again at his desk. A year ago, he had been nothing but an outsider. A man who had replaced their well liked leader. If today's events had happened then, he had no doubt that Jake would have had him brought up on charges quicker than he could blink. *If he didn't punch my lights out first.*   
Even worse, he thought, what if Monica had not reasoned with him as effectively as she had. He shuddered to think about what might have happened.   
  
After the situation had been diffused, Jake and Monica had followed him back up to his office. The three had talked for close to two hours about what had happened. He had no excuses for himself. How could he explain to them what was really going on in his life? How could he admit that he had seen the killer face-to-face and let her escape. Not only had he let her escape, but that he had spent nearly 5 hours with her in a little neighborhood bar making small talk like they were long lost friends. How could he explain that even though he had initiated a search for her capture, silently part of him wanted her to escape? Jake had insisted that the situation of this morning had been nothing more than a case of overwork and stress. Monica seemed to agree. They both knew that he often spent long hours going through case files well after the time that the rest of the group had left. They both assumed that he had spent the last five days cooped up in his office instead of taking the same time off that he had insisted that the everyone else take. He let them believe it. It was better than the truth.  
  
After the discussion had ended, both Jake and Monica had insisted that he take the rest of the day off and actually spend some time relaxing. They could begin the search without him. They said that they had his cell and phone #'s and would call immediately if they come across anything of interest. At first he had protested, but finally relented. The truth was, his heart just wasn't in this search to begin with. Another fact that he couldn't share with them. So in the end, he had agreed to leave after he had finished up a few things. So after reliving today's events one more time, he decided to head home.  
  
He left his office just about the time that Jake and Alex were also preparing to leave. All motion ceased on the floor when they heard him descending the stairs. All eyes were upon him and in those eyes he saw understanding and compassion laced with a small amount of apprehension and possibly fear. He couldn't blame them for fearing him. He had done the unthinkable and even though they seemed ready and willing to forgive him, part of him knew they he would never fully forgive himself.  
  
Frank stopped when he reached the rest of the group and said, "I just want to say once again how very sorry I am about what happened earlier. What I did was unforgivable. I have no worthy excuse for my actions. Cody….Alex….I'll tell you the same that I told Jake and Monica earlier, if either one of you wants to bring me up on charges, please do so. Or if either one of you feels that you would like to be transferred to another unit, I would certainly understand."  
  
Alex, Cody, Monica and Jake all exchanged glances and then Jake offered, " Yeah well, we've discussed what happened and figured that…..you know…..sometimes we take you for granted. The rest of us get to blow off steam whenever we want to, but we always expect you to have perfect control. I guess that's not really fair. I mean, hell, look at me……I always seem to be going over the deep end, and no one blinks an eye!" This elicited a few nervous grins around the group.  
  
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, we know that you're under a lot of pressure from the higher-ups to get results. That can't be easy. You know, keeping up that perfect Donovan record and all," Jake said with a hint of humor in his voice.   
  
"So if you ever want to vent, I hope you know that you can talk to any of us. After all, we're in this together right? Who better to understand what you're going through."  
  
Frank was truly speechless. He slowly looked around at the group and wondered how he had gotten so lucky. And to think, he had almost fired all of them.  
  
"Just one more thing though," Jake added as Frank turned back toward him, "pull a gun on me again, and you better hope you kill me." His tone was tinged with humor but the undertone told Frank that he was serious.  
  
Frank looked Jake in the eyes and an understanding passed between the two. Frank slowly smiled and extended his hand towards Jake. Jake at first just stared at him, and then seemed to understand that this was Frank's way of closing the book on what had happened. A guy's version of a hug of forgiveness. Jake took his hand and there seemed to be a collective sigh heard throughout the room.  
  
"All right!" Jake started, "I believe Alex and I have a lot of mileage to cover and time's awastin'! Let's go partner!"   
  
"We'll let you know the instant we come across anything," Alex added and then the two were gone.  
  
Frank stood in the middle of the operations center and seemed at a loss as to what to do. Then he heard Monica clear her throat trying to get his attention.  
  
"Go home Frank," Monica said. "We can handle this part of the investigation, and you promised to go and get some rest."  
  
"I know. I'm going." And with that Frank started for the door. He stopped once more before exiting.  
  
"Monica," he said, waiting for her to face him, "thanks………for everything."   
  
Monica smiled in return. She knew he meant not only for the counseling that she had provided but also for talking the gun away from him.  
  
"All in a day's work." she said lightly.   
  
He gave her one last smile and left.  
  
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Across town, Katherine was solemnly looking out the window while riding the "L". Ever since she had left Frank on Saturday night, she had been in a terrible funk. Depressed. Moody. She had shut herself off from the world around her and seemed to wander around in a daze, unfeeling, unseeing.   
  
*Damn it!! How the hell did I let this man get that close to me that quickly!" she screamed silently to herself.   
  
She'd barricaded herself up in her apartment since that night, but suddenly this afternoon, the silence and solitude had been overwhelming. She fled her place as if it had been on fire. She flew down the stairs and practically ran out into the street, such was here need to be out in the open and away from the memories of that night. She had stewed in those memories for the past 36 hours.   
  
She could recollect every detail about him. The exact color of his eyes. Warm honey or was it molasses? The way his beard framed his mouth and chin and that slight stubble along his cheeks. The gray that shaded his temples. The cute tilt of his ears. The way his eyes lit up when he really smiled. How his fingers wrapped around the glass that he drank out of. So many details. She remembered more about him than she thought she could ever recall about anyone else she had ever known in her life.  
  
After she had made it to the street, she had wandered around aimlessly for hours. When she got tired of walking, she considered going home but the idea of spending another minute holed up in her room appalled her. So she decide to jump on the elevated train or the "L" as the locals called it. She had no destination in mind. She just needed to be on the move. She rode for a long time, back and forth, to and fro. Anywhere but home. For some reason she felt that just being on the move would help erase the thought of him. But after what seemed like an eternity, but in actuality had only been a few hours, she realized that she was kidding herself.   
  
Maybe it was the events of the past year weighing so heavily upon her, or maybe it was the fact that it had been so long since she had truly enjoyed a man's company that made her want to cling to what little time she had spent with Frank. She had become very accomplished over the years in learning how to keep people, and men especially, at arms length. Entanglements, especially emotional ones, were dangerous if not impossible in her line of work. And, she reminded herself, she was very good at what she did.   
  
She closed her eyes and tried to will away the swirling blackness of emotion that she found herself caught up in. Sighing, she opened her eyes. Nothing had changed. She was still alone and more than that……she was lonely.  
  
With that thought, she decided that it was no use trying to run away physically from whatever she was feeling emotionally. Looking around quickly, she realized that she was very near the stop near her apartment. *Might as well get off now. Another hour or two circling the city isn't going to help.*  
  
Just as dusk was settling over the city, she exited the train and headed for home.  
  
  
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Frank had left the warehouse some time ago, but hadn't felt like going home just yet. Instead he had decided to head over to a gym that he frequented close by. He knew he could use the facilities at work, but when he worked out, he needed to be away from whatever was eating at him and usually that meant whatever case they were following at the moment.   
  
He worked out vigorously, trying to free his mind of all thoughts related to this case. Thoughts of Katherine, he reminded himself. After hours of strenuous exercise, weight lifting and kick boxing, he knew that it was useless. Although he felt physically spent, his mind was still racing. And after a cooling shower, he decided to finally head home.   
  
He pulled his car into the parking garage at his apartment building, but hesitated on actually entering the structure. Stalling, he instead headed out toward the sidewalk with the excuse of walking to the nearby video store so that he could relax by watching a movie tonight.  
  
He slowly walked down the street. Not really mindful of those passing around him. His thoughts wrapped up in the case at hand, when suddenly he heard someone call his name.  
  
"Frank?"  
  
He knew the voice before he even looked around. He closed his eyes, sighing heavily. He felt like he had just aged ten years in one second. He knew that voice. The voice he had been dreaming about. The voice he wished he'd never hear again.  
When he opened his eyes, she was standing directly in front of him. The moment of truth had arrived sooner than he'd expected.  
  
"Amanda," he said sadly.  
  
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Next chapter: Frank's moment of truth. Will he turn her in? Will she confess everything? Will they both give in to their attraction????? 


	7. Chapter Seven

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Seven  
  
  
  
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I know the last chapter wasn't very exciting, but I had to use it to set up some story elements. Hopefully the next couple of chapters will make up for that. *wink*  
  
Thanks again for the reviews. They are, as always, very deeply appreciated.  
  
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Katherine had been but a few blocks away from her apartment when she spied Frank walking in her direction. Her first instinct had been to cross to the other side of the street, but the closer he came to her, the more rapid her heartbeat became. During the hours and days since she had left him on Saturday night, she had done nothing but think about him, dream about him and wish she had never met him. He had gotten to her. Pure and simple. He had gotten closer to her in the space of a few hours than anyone had ever been in 20 years or more. Bottom line……he was a danger to her, and danger was something she didn't need more of in her life right now. And yet…….she was captivated.  
  
After she had decided not to dodge him, she realized that he seemed to be walking along the street oblivious to the world around him. His shoulders were slumped and he seemed to be paying more attention to what was on the ground than what was passing by him. He appeared almost……defeated. She frowned deeply at the thought. For a few seconds at least, she forgot her own concerns and began worrying about him. Granted in the big picture of things, she really knew little about him. But he didn't seem to be the type of person who would wallow in self-pity. When he was but a few feet away from her, she realized that he was going to pass her without even a glance. For a moment, a very brief moment, she considered letting him just pass by and disappear out of her life once more. But her very being screamed for that not to happen. So when he passed her and was no more than 3 feet away, she finally called his name.  
  
"Frank?" It was more of a question than an acknowledgement. The one word asked a myriad of questions. Are you all right? Were you really going to walk right by without saying anything? Could you still want to talk to me after how I left you the other night?   
  
She saw him pause and for a moment she thought he would continue on without even a hello. She stared at his back and began to wonder if he had indeed seen her and was hoping that she would simply let him go by her without even conceding that she existed. When he finally turned slowly to face her, she saw so many emotions cross his face in the space of a second. Joy. Confusion. Hurt. Sorrow. And maybe even anger. It was painful to watch. And when he finally replied and simply said her name, that single word was dripping with so much raw sadness that her heart almost wrenched out of her chest.  
  
  
Frank stared at Katherine and seemed at a loss for words. He had wanted almost desperately to see her again but at the same time he wished that they had never met. Looking at her was an ever present reminder of how he had failed miserably at his job. He didn't know what to say or even where to begin. He watched her eyes as she continued to observe him. He saw such concern in those eyes and somehow knowing that she seemed to genuinely care about him, hurt more than he could have ever admitted. Even as he was swept away in the emotion of the moment, he knew that this time he would have to bring her in. He had failed once. It wouldn't happen again. But once more, there was a problem. Monica still had his weapon.   
  
Katherine saw something in his face change. He seemed to have found a new resolve, and somehow the light in his eyes appeared to dim. Finally she broke the silence.  
  
"Are you all right? You seem to be so preoccupied. Is everything OK?"  
  
Finding his voice at last, Frank responded, "I'm fine. I've just had a lot on my mind the last couple of days. You know…..work related problems. I'm sure you've been in the same situation before."  
  
"Of course," she replied, acknowledging the words but not really accepting his answer. She'd seen the way he had looked at her and knew that she somehow had caused some of the distress that was written all over his face.  
  
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I can see you have a lot on your mind right now, so I guess I'll just let you go," she added.  
  
"No!" he almost barked at her. She seemed almost startled by that, but he continued, "I'm actually glad that I ran into you. I've been thinking about you a lot since the other night and realized too late that I never got your phone number. Seems that fate has intervened. So what do you say we make the most of it?" The words left Frank's mouth but they seemed to leave a bitter taste behind. True….he had been thinking about her……almost relentlessly, but he'd forced himself to try to make a play for her. His hope was that she would consent to go back with him to his apartment. He had another gun there and while they were alone, he would have a better opportunity to do what he knew he must. Make an arrest.  
  
She looked at him quizzically. Just seconds before he had seemed lost to the world, and now……. "What do you have in mind?" she ventured.  
  
"Have you eaten yet?"  
  
"Actually……no. In fact, I think I missed lunch too," she replied.  
  
"In that case, I feel honor bound to make sure that you get the nutrition you need. How about we grab some Chinese take-out and maybe a video and head back to my place for a quiet evening?"   
  
This was the moment of truth for Katherine. If she went with this man tonight, she knew that the line in the sand would be crossed. And for the life of her, she couldn't figure out exactly what she was hoping for in continuing this relationship. It would have to end. The only question was when.  
  
"Only on one condition."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"I buy," was Katherine's simple reply.  
  
Frank eyed her for a second longer and finally said, "You got a deal."  
  
With that they headed off down the street to the local video store. Once inside, they began wandering through the rows of tapes.   
  
"What kind of movies do you like, Frank?"  
  
"You pick out whatever you want. It doesn't make any difference to me," he answered truthfully. The movie was a ploy. Nothing else. He knew he would never see whatever she actually picked out.  
  
"Oooh……you better watch what you say. You might end up watching a chick flick. Bridges of Madison county. Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Something like that."  
She said with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.  
  
Frank saw that smile and groaned inwardly. *You can do this, Frank. You can do this.*  
  
After ten minutes or so, she finally decided on one of the recent releases. Not too violent. Not too sappy. With just a hint of good natured humor. A good date movie.  
A fact that was not lost on Frank.  
  
Soon they were on their way to get the food and after deciding on four or five items they finally headed back towards Frank's apartment building. The conversation was light and basically harmless. A news story one or the other had heard that day. The weather forecast for the upcoming week.  
  
A short time later, they arrived at Frank's door. *No turning back now* he reminded himself as he put the key in the lock and opened the door.  
  
Katherine stepped inside and immediately assessed the place. Clean. Neat. Devoid of any personal mementos. At least none that she could easily see. It reminded her of her own home. She suddenly felt apprehensive, but couldn't quite figure out why.  
  
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable,' Frank suggested. "And I'll get us some drinks. What'll you have?"  
  
"Anything. Whatever you're going to have is fine with me," she smiled at him. "Here let me help with something. Plates? Napkins? I hate being waited on."  
  
Frank frowned when she joined him in the kitchen. He had planned to slip down the hallway so that he could retrieve the spare gun he kept locked in his bedroom. When he realized that she wasn't going to leave him alone, he resigned himself to the fact that he would at least have to spend dinner with her. The last supper.  
  
After retrieving what was needed from the kitchen, both settled on the the couch and began sharing their feast.   
  
"Here," she said, "let's start the movie while we finish dinner." She quickly found the tape and headed for the VCR. Soon she had the tape in and the movie started.  
*Great!! Maybe I'll get to see the movie after all!* he thought sarcastically.  
  
Soon he finished eating and began watching her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed genuinely intrigued by the film. He watched the play of emotions and expressions on her face and was completely mesmerized. She was so caught up in the movie that she didn't even notice him staring at her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He knew it was now or never.  
  
Frank excused himself and she briefly glanced in his direction with a quick smile. She assumed he was going to the bathroom, so of course, she suspected nothing. In reality, he slipped into his bedroom and quickly unlocked the gun case. After making sure that the gun was properly loaded, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves and began to make his way back to the living room. He glanced briefly at the phone on his bedside table, and for a brief second thought of calling for backup. Jake or Alex would most likely still be in the area and could easily be there within minutes, but something stayed his hand. Maybe it was shame over the events of the morning that pushed him to take this risk. Or maybe he just didn't want to see their faces when he would have to explain why she was there in his apartment in the first place. No, he decided, he'd make the arrest alone and face the rest of his team when he brought Katherine in. With that thought, he made his way back down the hallway, gun drawn.  
  
"Frank. Do you have any more………" Katherine stopped dead in her tracks. She was looking down the barrel of Frank's gun. She had been intently watching the movie when she decided she needed another beer. So she went in search of one. She heard him coming back down the hall, so decided to be polite and ask first. When she turned the corner, he was less than two feet away from her with his gun pointed in her direction.  
  
"Frank?" she began nervously, "what are you doing?" Her voice was shaking and every nerve ending was firing.   
  
He continued to just stare at her, giving her the patented Frank Donovan ice glare. It was taking everything he had to maintain his present control.   
  
"Why are you doing this?" she continued. "What have I done?" Those final words were almost a plea.   
  
"Why don't you tell me…………Katherine?"  
  
Her eyes flew open wide. *HE KNEW!* All this time, she thought he was just an average guy off the street. And here he was, planning this all along! The thought sickened her. All the feelings that she had developed for this man in such a short time………all based on lies. Had he ever said a truthful word to her? Her blood ran cold and she could swear her heart had stopped beating. The thought that everything they had shared….everything she felt or thought she felt for him……all of it was gone in a single second. Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to stare at him. She supposed the only real question at this point was…….who did he work for?   
  
Frank watched the realization slam into her. He was prepared for whatever action she might take. He didn't doubt that she was armed. She might have an ankle holster on, so he watched for any movement down towards the floor. She also might have some other type of weapon on her as well so his senses were on full alert. What he wasn't prepared for was the look of utter helplessness and despair that seemed to wash over her. He saw the tears form in her green eyes and suddenly felt like he was drowning. She finally spoke one word.  
  
"Why?"  
  
He didn't know how to answer that. Was she asking how he could have lied to her, knowing who she really was all along? Did she want to know why now? There were so many answers he could give her, but none seemed adequate.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked as her voice began to break. She knew it didn't really matter. All along she knew that she would get caught eventually, and when she did, she knew her days would would be numbered.  
  
Frank summoned whatever strength he had left in order to answer. "I'm with the Justice Department," was all he could seem to manage.  
  
She seemed to lose focus when he said that. Almost as if some internal battle were being waged and that it took all her energy to keep from going over the edge.  
  
"The Justice Department?" she asked as the first tears spilled over her cheeks.  
  
Frank could only nod, while his heart was waging a battle of it's own with what he knew his duty to be.  
  
"Frank. Please…….you have to listen to me. I can only imagine what you've been told. Please………oh God please let me explain!"  
  
He knew that if he listened to anything from her at this point, he might be lost, so he went about securing the situation as best as he could.  
  
"Give me your hands," he simply said, turning her around so that he could handcuff her.  
  
"Frank………I'm begging ……..please let me explain everything to you!!"  
  
"I said give me your hands Katherine!" With that he roughly forced her hands behind her back and quickly slid the cuffs into place.  
  
When he turned her around again to face him, the look of absolute anguish on her face nearly killed him.  
  
"Oh God!! Frank……….please listen to me!!" she was begging him and it was tearing his heart out.  
  
"I know what they've told you about me! Please…. You have to believe me when I tell you that they're lying. Please Frank…………..oh God please!" And with that she sank to her knees on the floor and began sobbing.  
  
He watched her sink to the floor in horror. He had expected anything but this. And it was killing him to watch her. She continued to kneel in front of him with her head downcast and sobs racking her body.   
  
He slowly knelt in front of her and reached out his hand to tilt her chin so that he could see her face.   
  
When she felt his hand on her face she closed her eyes. She felt like her whole world had crumbled around her in a matter of seconds and she didn't want to look in his eyes. She couldn't bear to see the coldness they had possessed just mere seconds ago. But his touch was gentle and she soon felt his thumbs wiping away her tears.  
She finally opened her eyes, and saw her own hurt and anguish reflected back in his own.  
  
"Frank…..please……." she softly whispered, her voice broken with emotion.  
  
"Shhhhh………" was all he said as he continued to wipe the tears from her face.  
  
Her sobs slowly subsided and she silently searched his eyes. What was he thinking? He seemed lost in some deep thought. No doubt wrestling with his own demons.  
  
Slowly…….ever so slowly……..he lowered his head and captured her lips with his own.  
The kiss was undemanding and gentle, soft and yet passionate. He gently pulled back and searched her face.   
  
He knew that he had reached a point of no return. He had fought desperately all night with his feelings for this woman. He couldn't deny it any longer. He was falling in love with her. He had one of two choices at this juncture. One……he had to bring her in….now, and forget whatever feelings he had for her. Or two…….he had to open himself up to the possibility that there was more to this woman's story and trust in the feelings that he felt as sure as his next breath.   
  
Frank suddenly stood and gently helped Katherine to her feet. He turned her toward the front door. *He's going to turn me in* she thought in despair. And then she felt him take hold of her hands and release the hand cuffs.  
  
  
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Next chapter: Katherine's real story and ……….let's see………..what else can you do with handcuffs?? ^_-  
  
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	8. Chapter Eight

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Eight  
  
  
  
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Thanks again for the reviews!! Since this is my first fanfic, the response has been terrific. A special thanks to Deana for her enthusiastic and encouraging reviews of each and every chapter so far. Very much appreciated!!   
  
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Frank turned Katherine around so that she was facing him once more. His hands went to her face once again and continued wiping away the remaining tears. His touch was gentle and so caring and the look on his face radiated all of the emotions that he felt for this woman. Love and concern with a touch of uncertainty.   
  
Katherine in return gazed at the man who held her fate in his hands and was awestruck. What did he expect from her now? What was the real reason that he had let her go? How could she possibly make him believe her? She knew that she owed him a very lengthy explanation and opened her mouth to begin, but he quickly placed a finger over her lips in an attempt to silence her.  
  
Frank didn't want explanations right now. He saw the jumble of emotions on her face and knew that she was trying to figure out where to begin, but he was very aware that reality would soon rear its ugly head. Right at this moment he was content to just swim in the knowledge that he was truly falling for this woman. He let the emotions of the moment just wash over him.   
  
With his finger still at her mouth, he began to trace the contour of her bottom lip. As he did so, the blood began to race through his veins and he saw the look in her eyes change immediately. The previous moment had been one of gentle caring, but now he felt overwhelmed by the need to kiss her passionately. He needed her. He wanted her…….now.  
  
He suddenly became aware that she had said something, but he hadn't heard it. He looked up to her eyes and saw the uncertainty and hesitance mingled with…….what?  
He was so overcome by his own emotions that he was having a hard time reading her. Did she want this as much as he did? His doubts resurfaced. He searched her eyes once more. If she truly was the woman that all of their case files said she was, she could have easily taken control of the situation after he had taken off the cuffs. But she had made no effort to go for his gun or the one that he assumed she was carrying. Instead she stood before him, but a hair's breadth away and seemed as caught up in him as he was in her. Again he gazed into her eyes and saw………he sucked in a breath at the realization. She did want this. He clearly saw a need as powerful as his own hiding there.  
  
She opened her mouth once more to speak. Frank quickly quieted her.   
  
"Not now," he said softly as his lips claimed hers.  
  
The kiss was vastly different from before. That time they had both been tentative, but now, what they were sharing was anything but hesitant. As his lips moved over hers, for a brief second she barely responded. But she soon was responding to the kiss and matching his own desire. As the kiss deepened, his hands left her face and skimmed down the sides of her body. Fingers lightly touching her arms before settling at her waist. He moved his hands to the small of her back and pulled her closer to him. He wanted her to feel his need. The maneuver sent shivers down her spine and deepened her own desire for him.  
  
As she gave herself over to the kiss, she slowly wound her arms around his neck and plunged her fingers into his hair. One hand was gently caressing the back of his head, playing with the short hairs at the nape of his neck. This caused Frank to tighten his hold on her. And when she gasped in response, he took the opportunity to take the kiss further. His tongue traced her lips gently and he soon felt her own join in. His tongue soon plunged into her mouth and explored hungrily. Her response was a soft groan that was like music to his ears. He stroked her tongue over and over with his own, and soon both were reeling out of control. Their mutual need escalated quickly.   
  
Hands roamed wantonly one over the other. Searching for bare skin. Caressing. Needing more and more.   
  
Frank suddenly pulled back, fighting to regain some semblance of control. He grabbed her upper arms and held her away from his body, almost at arms length and felt cold at her absence. His breathing was labored as was hers, and when he could finally look at her, he saw her eyes hooded with passion. Pupils dilated almost obscuring their vivid green color. Her cheeks were blushed from her obvious arousal and her parted lips were still moist and slightly swollen from their intense kiss.  
  
At first she just stared at him, confused. She tried to read his eyes and could see him battling what he felt for her. He wanted her. She had no doubt of that. She had felt it. But she also knew that what he was feeling must surely be dueling with his sense of duty. But she wanted this moment at least. Tomorrow would bring whatever fate had in store, but tonight she wanted to pretend that they were the only two people left in the world.   
  
Katherine slowly reached out and gently touched his face. Her fingertips barely grazed his cheek. It was a gesture of tenderness, not passion. He placed his own hand over hers and gazed into her eyes. Then slowly took her hand and placed a gentle kiss in her palm.  
  
"I don't want to think about tomorrow," she breathed to him, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "Tonight, let it be just the two of us." she added as she took a step closer to him.  
  
Her words seem to free him. She was telling him that it was alright to surrender to their feelings if only for tonight. Tomorrow would bring responsibilities along with the harsh light of day.   
  
Frank again placed his hands on her face and kissed her briefly. Then he dropped his hands and stepped back and for a moment she feared that he was going to leave her. But instead he held his hand out. She looked down at his outstretched hand and then back to his face and saw the breadth of emotion there. If it was possible, her heart began to race even faster than before. She placed her hand in his and he slowly led her back to his bedroom.  
  
Once there, he tuned to face her. Never breaking eye contact, he tenderly caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers and then ran his hand back through her hair, all the while pulling her closer to him. He lowered his head until their lips were a mere inch apart, but he didn't kiss her. One hand was still wound in her hair and the other slowly descended to the front of her blouse. He fingered the collar and ran his fingers down the inside towards the top buttons. She could feel the backs of his fingers against her skin. His hand paused there before finally opening the top button. This simple teasing was driving her wild. Touching but not touching. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps. If it was at all possible, she wanted him more than she had before. A warmth spread throughout her body and she almost felt dizzy with the strength of her need. After what seemed like forever, their lips finally joined, and both were lost to their mutual passion.   
  
As before, the smoldering depths of their desire soon turned to an out-of-control blaze of want and need. Hands explored hungrily. Articles of clothing were quickly discarded. Tongues dueled. And the outside world was completely forgotten.   
  
As they moved together on the bed, a tangle of sweaty limbs, they neared their passionate completion. Hands stroked and caressed. Lips, mouths and tongues teased and licked. Soon both were crying out from the strength of their climaxes.  
  
Still buried deep inside her, Frank was lying with his head in the crook of her neck, trying to regain control of his breathing. As her legs were still wrapped around him, so were her arms wrapped around his back, gently stroking his sweat drenched skin.  
He slowly lifted his head and framed her face with his hands. He stared into the depths of her eyes as though he were gazing into the very depths of her soul. He kissed her gently once more and withdrew from her.   
  
He rolled onto his back and brought her along side him. His arms gently enfolded her as she lay with her head on his chest listening to his even breaths and strong heartbeat. They lay there forever, just basking in the glow of what had happened between them. Neither wanted to let go, fearing that doing so would mean the end of whatever tenderness they had shared.  
  
Katherine slowly raised herself onto her elbow and gazed down at Frank. She touched his lips lightly with her fingertip and gently kissed him. Then she looked away and sighed. She couldn't avoid the inevitable.  
  
"We need to talk," she said solemnly.  
  
"I know. You need to tell me what's really going on. At least from your point of view," he added.   
  
She sat up and pulled the sheets around her, separating herself from Frank.  
*He may regret this evening after I've finished* she thought sadly. But she knew that she would never regret what had happened between them. Yes, the sex was incredible, but it was more than that. She had never felt so connected to anyone before, and it was so much more than just physical attraction.   
*I'm falling in love* she thought with a sigh.  
  
"I'm not sure where to start," she began.  
  
"Just start explaining, and I'll ask questions if I get lost along the way."  
  
She nodded. Taking a deep breath she began.  
  
"I know what your files say. Or at least I have a pretty good guess. They say that I'm a hired contract killer. Am I right?" Frank nodded in reply.  
  
"I thought so. It probably states that I've gunned down, what…….10 or 12 men in cold blood?"  
  
"15"  
  
"That many, huh?" she asked sarcastically. "Well, the file's right on one point at least. I have killed before," She saw Frank stiffen in response, so she quickly added, "but not in the way that they'd have you believe."  
  
"I'm CIA," she stated simply.  
  
Frank's eyes widened in response. He was totally unprepared for that revelation, He had been expecting a story of how she had been forced into a life of crime by some unknown source. But never this. So here was the truth, she WAS a contract killer. But instead of being funded by some mob boss, their government was footing the bill.  
  
"CIA?"  
  
"Yep. I was recruited while I was still in college and have worked for the Company ever since. It's been almost nine years now. At first I was doing light undercover work and then they found I had a talent when it came to weapons. Guns especially."  
  
"How talented?"  
  
"Very," she stated without boasting, "I can hit a small rock no more than an inch in diameter at 100 yards in a 20 MPH cross wind."  
  
"That's talented," he said with amazement in his voice.  
  
"When I started the special weapons training, I thought it was fun. I blew the other recruits out of the water and I was proud of that. I just never seriously thought about what I would do with that type of training. Looking back now, I should have guessed. What else could I have done?"  
  
"So after months of long hours and torturous testing, I was finally ready for my first assignment. Well…….physically I was ready. When they gave me the file on my first target I very nearly went running away in horror." She paused and gave a dry chuckle. "I can remember yelling at my superiors, 'You want me to do WHAT?!?!' "  
  
"I threatened to leave and, of course, they threatened back. 'What did you think you were going to be doing!', they shouted back at me. 'We trained you to be a professional assassin, and that's exactly what you're going to be. The government spent a lot of money on your training and we expect to get a return on that investment! You WILL complete this mission. End of discussion!' I realized I had little choice."  
  
"So, I took the assignment. I tried my best to turn off whatever emotion I was feeling, but I could barely keep my disgust under wraps. When the case was finally complete, in other words, when I finally pulled the trigger and ended another being's life, I dropped to my knees and proceeded to throw up for the next hour."  
  
"A few days later, I returned to Washington to a hero's welcome. I was congratulated left and right and I did my best not to grab someone and scream, 'I just killed a man, you idiot!! I didn't make the winning touchdown! I didn't win the Nobel prize! I took another person's life!' I accepted all their good wishes as well as I could and fled the building. I wanted out, but I knew I was trapped. They'd never let me go."  
  
"I swore I would never be able to handle a gun again. I couldn't fathom it. Going through that again. But like clockwork, the Company called. They had my next assignment. I hung my head after hanging up the phone and resigned myself to the fact that this was my life and always would be."  
  
"Over the years, the cases got easier. Not the technical aspects of the job. In fact some targets were absolute hell to get to. I'm talking about taking a life. God….. I hate to admit that. But it's true. After awhile you become numb to the emotion. You get in. Get your target in your sites. Pull the trigger. Then get out. Clean and quick. No fuss, no mess. And over the years, I became VERY good at my job."  
  
"Soon, I began receiving special assignments. Stuff that not everyone in the Company knew about. Top secret. And that's when it got dangerous."  
  
"Some of the meetings that I went to to get my cases were held in darkened garages, back alleys, or deserted parks. That should have been my first clue that everything was not being played above board. But I trusted the men that I worked for. I assumed that they would never lead me down the wrong path. I should have realized that some assumptions can get you killed."  
  
She paused and was staring at the corner of the sheet she had been nervously running through her fingers. She didn't think she could tell him anymore. What little she had told him so far would probably put him in harm's way. And she wasn't willing to risk his life in order to purge her soul.  
  
Frank had been listening to her, trying to absorb everything she was telling him. He knew now why here eyes sometimes looked tortured. Everything she had endured over the years had left deep emotional scars, and he longed to be able to help her heal.  
  
"Hey," he said softly, "come here." He reached for her and brought her against the warmth and protection of his body. She snuggled against him, trying to cling to the wonderful feelings that he invoked in her. At this moment, he was the only light in her dismally dark existence, and she desperately wanted nothing more than to stay right here with him forever.  
  
"It's OK," he began, "We'll figure out a way to get through this." He wrapped his arms around her and tried to will away the deep seated dread that her words had invoked. She worked for the government and now was on the run. Was she running from someone she had tried to take down? Or was she running from the very men who she had trusted to guide her footsteps? That last thought unnerved him more than anything else and a cold shiver ran down his spine. If she was running from one of the bad guys, he could find a way to protect her. But how could he save her from the very government that they both worked for? How would he keep her safe then?  
  
With these thoughts he moved slightly, meaning to ask her a question, but he realized that she had drifted off to sleep. He gazed at her as she seemed to be dozing so peacefully in the comfort of his arms.   
  
He lay there for quite a while, just watching her sleep. So much had happened over the past few hours. His life had changed irrevocably. And there was no turning back.   
  
Trying not to wake her, he settled back more comfortably on the bed. He closed his eyes, thinking back on everything she had told him. *I'll find a way to protect her* he thought as he unconsciously tightened his hold around her. And with that thought, he joined her in sleep.  
  
  
/////////////////////////////////////////  
  
It was after 10:00pm when Jake finally met up with Alex outside of McCauley's Bar. Both were exhausted from their seemingly endless search. They had canvassed just about every house, apartment building or business in this 6 block radius.  
  
"Anything?" Jake inquired.  
  
"Well, if you count a few maybes or I think so's as anything then, yeah, I think I hit the jackpot," she answered sarcastically. She was tired and cranky and it took everything she had not to jump down Jake's throat.  
  
"Same here. At least a dozen people remember seeing her but couldn't recall where. For the most part, however, I'd say this day was a complete bust."  
  
"So did Donovan ever tell you where he got this lead?"  
  
"Not really. After we had our little talk this morning, I brought it up again and all he said was that it came from a very reliable source."  
  
"A reliable source? That's it?" she said, clearly irritated.  
  
"Hey! Don't shoot the messenger, huh?"  
  
"Sorry," she mumbled as she lit up another cigarette. She took a moment to gaze at the front of the bar. "So why is this search centered around this place?" she asked as she turned to look at Jake.  
  
"I have no idea."   
  
"You mean you didn't ask?"  
  
"Look, Donovan wasn't exactly volunteering any more information!"  
  
"No…….that's not what I mean. I mean what did the owner say?" she inquired pointing to the building.  
  
Jake just looked at her for a second then said, "I thought you were going to talk to him or her."  
  
"God damn it Jake! You mean we could have saved us both a lot of mileage today if we'd just started here?"  
  
"All right! All right! Calm down. We're here now, so let's ask!"  
  
With that the two entered the bar. After looking around briefly, they headed over to the man behind the bar.  
  
"Well good evening! What can I get for the two of ya?" he asked cheerfully.  
  
"Nothing except maybe some information," Jake stated.  
  
"If I can. What kind of information are ya lookin' for?"  
  
"Well for starters……are you the owner of this place?"  
  
"I am! Brendan McCauley's the name," he said extending his hand to the pair.  
  
" I'm Agent Shaw and this is Agent Cross."  
  
"Agents? Now what would ya be looking' for here?"  
  
"We're looking for a woman who may have been seen in this area," Alex continued.  
  
Jake reached inside his coat pocket and retrieved the photo that they had been showing through the neighborhood all day, and handed it to the man.  
  
Mac eyed them a bit nervously but then finally tilted his head to look at the picture.  
  
"Do you recognize her?" Jake asked.  
  
A smile lit Mac's face and he replied, "Well of course I do! This here's Amanda Blake."  
  
Alex and Jake were both stunned. "You mean you really know her?"  
  
Mac looked at the two incredulously. "I'll have you know that I know the names of every single customer who's ever graced that doorway!"  
  
The two couldn't believe their luck. "When was the last time you saw her?"  
  
"Now let me think………..it was last Saturday night! The Dodgers were playing!"  
  
"Have you ever seen anyone else with her? Anyone at all?" Jake asked excitedly.  
  
"Well generally when she's here, she pretty much keeps to herself, but on Saturday she was in the company of a fine young man."  
  
"You wouldn't happen to remember his name, would you?"  
  
"Young lady! Of course I do! I told you that I know the names of every patron who's ever come in here."  
  
"So what was this man's name?"  
  
"Frank Donovan."  
  
  
//////////////////////////////////////  
  
Next chapter: The sh** hits the fan!!  
  
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	9. Chapter Nine

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Nine  
  
  
  
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I know you're probably tired of hearing me say this, but THANK YOU for reading my story and an extra special thank you to those that have submitted reviews. Your time is very much appreciated!!  
  
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Frank slowly awoke, senses on instant alert. Something wasn't right. Had he heard something or sensed some movement? He stilled his movements and tried to clear his mind. It felt as if something was out of place. Almost like waking up in a different spot than you were before falling asleep, but he knew he was in his own bedroom. As he became fully awake, it dawned on him what was different. Katherine was gone.  
  
His heart sank thinking that she might have left him without saying a word. Like a thief in the night. Or in this case, like a highly trained assassin. He began to rise from the bed, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was still fully dark, probably no later than 2 or 3 in the morning, but enough light entered through the partially drawn curtains for him to see a form at the window. *She didn't leave after all* he thought with a sigh.   
  
Although it was difficult to see in the darkness, he could at least make out that she was standing with her back to him, staring out at the street below. He slipped out of the bed and slowly made his way towards her. If she sensed his presence, she gave no indication of it. As he neared her, he could hear her softly crying, and the sound broke his heart.  
  
He gently reached for her and encircled her waist with his strong arms. She gave a brief start when he first touched her, but immediately melted into his embrace.   
  
"Tell me what's wrong," he softly commanded as he lifted the back of his fingers to her face, tenderly wiping away her tears.  
  
"What isn't wrong?" she replied hopelessly. "I'm a fugitive, and I'm running from the very people that I once trusted without question. People who will never stop pursuing me, at least not until I'm dead and buried. They've taken everything away from me, Frank. My identity. My honor. And I live in constant fear that at any minute, someone will find me." With those last words, she turned and buried her face against his chest. He pulled her tighter into his arms, trying to provide whatever comfort he could.  
  
"No one's going to find you. I'll make sure of that," he stated. "But you have to tell me everything. I can't protect you if I don't know who or what we're up against."  
  
She pulled back from him, and gave him a horrified glare. "I won't involve you in this!" she nearly shouted at him. She pulled completely free from his arms and began moving through the bedroom. Turning on the bedside lamp, she started looking for her hastily discarded clothing.  
  
"You won't involve me?!? Don't you think it's a little late for that?" He watched her gathering her clothes and added, "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I'm leaving."  
  
"Just like that," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, just like that. What I've already told you has put you in harm's way. If I tell you any more, your life will mean nothing." She paused from dressing to look him straight in the eye. "Don't you get it, Frank? This isn't going to go away. If I'm ever caught, there will be no trial. I'll never live to see it. These people will not stop. Ever." The two stared at each other from across the room.   
  
Sighing heavily, Frank slowly made his way towards her and knelt down in front of the chair where she was sitting.   
  
"I know you think that not giving me all of the details will help to protect me, but you're wrong." She started to protest, but he quickly silenced her as he continued. "We have an advantage here that you haven't thought of."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Right now, I'm the one in charge of finding you and bringing you in."  
  
"How is that an advantage," she asked dubiously.  
  
"I can control the amount or accuracy of the information that they're given. But in order for me to do that effectively, I need to know everything. You say that you were betrayed by those that you trusted. What if some of those same people are the ones that I report to. What if at this moment I think I can trust them too? I might inadvertently tip them off to something that would ultimately end up in your capture."  
  
She gazed at him as she considered the possibility. What he said made sense, but she was terrified of the repercussions if he was wrong. Did she dare risk it? In such a short time, this man had come to mean everything to her. Could she risk his life to possibly save her own?  
  
"I don't think I can do this," she said weakly, but he could see the fight was no longer blazing in her eyes.  
  
"Yes you can," he said taking her hands in his.   
  
"If anything would happen to you, I'd never………" she added as the tears began to flow once more.  
  
"Shhhh……..nothing's going to happen to me. We can do this, but you have to trust me. You have to let me in, Katherine."  
  
"I do trust you. I swore I'd never confide in another soul," she replied as she lifted her fingers and lightly ran them along his cheek. "But , God help me, I do trust you."   
  
Frank stood and pulled her to her feet along with him.   
  
"Let's get dressed and you can start where you left off."  
  
"We better make some coffee too," she said, "this may take awhile."  
  
So over the next few hours, Katherine told Frank what she dared not tell another living soul. And in the wee hours of the morning as the sun began to brighten the horizon, Frank started to formulate a plan.  
  
  
////////////////////////////////////////  
  
  
  
6:00AM Tuesday morning  
  
  
"All I can say is, this had BETTER be good!" Cody nearly shouted at Monica.   
  
"Jake said it was important. Why else would he have us meet he and Alex here so early in the morning?"  
  
"That's exactly my point. It's god damned 6:00 in the god damned morning!! Who comes to work at 6:00AM anyway?"  
  
"A lot of people, Cody! So cut out the attitude, alright? One morning is NOT going to kill you."  
  
"Well………all I'll add is……..if they're not here in the next 2 minutes, I am soooooo outta here."   
  
Monica just rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore him. She wasn't happy about the hour either, but figured it had to be something major for Jake to ask them to get here this early. *Probably found a lead* she thought. *But why so early in the morning? And why without Donovan?*  
  
Her thoughts were disrupted when she heard the door to the warehouse open and then slam shut. She saw the look on Jake's face and knew something major had developed. He looked about ready to kill. *This isn't going to be good, I can tell right now.*  
  
"So what's the deal Jake," Cody started off, attitude in tow. "Why are we here at the butt crack of dawn?"  
  
"Is Alex here yet?" he asked, ignoring Cody's question.  
  
"Not yet," Monica replied.  
  
"We'll wait for her. Then I'll fill you in." With that Jake turned to retrieve a much needed cup of coffee. He'd slept very little the previous night. His mind filled with a hundred different questions and damned few answers.  
  
Not a moment later, Alex entered the building. "Sorry I'm late," was all she mumbled to no one in particular.   
  
"So since we're all present and accounted for, for our secret little meeting, would somebody please tell me why it was necessary for me to haul myself out of bed so early?" Cody again asked. "And why wasn't Donovan invited to this little pow wow?"  
At that question, Alex and Jake exchanged glances.  
  
"That's why we're here," Jake explained.  
  
"OK, I'm already lost. We're here for what reason?"  
  
"Donovan."  
  
"Donovan? That's the explanation? What?………It's his birthday? He's firing all of us? He's being transferred? You're going to have to be more specific here."  
  
Jake was becoming irritated. Even more so than he had been. "Well, if you shut up for a minute, maybe I'll get the chance to tell you!!"  
  
Cody started to open his mouth, but saw the look on Jake's face and thought better of it.  
  
Jake and Alex quickly looked at each other, and then Alex said, "You tell them." Jake nodded.  
  
"Alright…………you know that Alex and I started a block by block search yesterday that centered around the address that Donovan gave us." Monica and Cody both nodded for him to continue. "Basically, we turned up nothing, at least nothing concrete. A lot of maybe's but that's about it. After about 8 or 9 hours of canvassing the neighborhood, we met back at that bar. Compared notes and decided to head back here, to the nest."  
  
"That's when we realized that neither one of us had approached the bar owner. So even though it was late we figured we might as well get it done that night instead of having to come back in the morning. So we went in and talked to bartender/owner. A man by the name of Brendan McCauley. We showed him the sketch of Amanda Blake and he recognized her immediately."   
  
"He said that she was a frequent customer. So we asked if he had seen her recently, and he informed us that she had been in there this past Saturday night. We continued by inquiring if he had ever seen her with anyone else, or did she always arrive and leave alone. He told us that she had met up with someone that very night." Jake paused and again looked at Alex.  
  
"What?" Monica asked, seeing the looks that the two had exchanged and wondering why she had this awful feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.  
  
Jake continued, "We asked if he knew who the man was that she had spent time with."  
  
"And?" Cody asked , growing impatient, "who was it?"  
  
"He said his name was Frank Donovan."  
  
Cody and Monica were both left speechless.   
  
"Wow," was all Cody could manage to say.  
  
"Was THAT worth hauling your ass out of bed for?" Jake asked mockingly.  
  
"Ummmm……..I would say that's a yes."  
  
"So maybe he ran into this woman and didn't realize until later that she was connected to this case," Monica volunteered.  
  
"That was our first thought too," Alex finally piped in. "But the bartender gave us a pretty good description of the way they had spent their evening."  
  
"So fess up"  
  
"Let's just say that according to the owner, they were……. very intimate. Quiet conversation. Voices low. Intently staring into each others eyes. Occasionally hands clasped across the table. The type of behavior that you would expect between two people on a date for instance." Alex stopped to let them absorb the implications of what she had said.  
  
"Is there any chance that he didn't recognize her as Katherine Dawson?" Monica asked hopefully.   
  
"The owner said that they spent the better part of 5 or more hours together that night. What do YOU think the chances are that Frank didn't recognize her?" Jake asked in reply. "I mean, how could he not? I took one look at that sketch and knew instantly that this was the same woman only with a different hair color and cut. There's no way that he didn't know!" he added, his temper beginning to flare.  
  
"It gets better," Alex added.  
  
"OH God! Now what!?!" Cody practically shouted.  
  
"The bartender said that they left together."  
  
"There has to be an explanation," was all that Monica could say.  
  
"Yeah, there's an explanation alright!! He's been lying to us!" Jake yelled. "The man pulls a gun on me because I asked one too many questions, and the whole time he's holding back because he's been sleeping with the enemy!"  
  
"That's enough Jake!" Monica shouted back. "We have no way of knowing exactly what happened that night without being there."  
  
"Awwww, come on Monica. They spent over 5 hours together holding hands and gazing into each others eyes like some high school love birds and then they left together. Even I can add two and two together. The only question is, how long has this been going on?"  
  
"What…..you think he's known her all along?" Cody asked.  
  
"How the hell are we supposed to know?? I mean at this point, I'm not sure of anything he's told us about this case."  
  
"Alright," Alex began, "let's just all calm down a little. I know it looks really bad, but like Monica said, there has to be an explanation. I mean, consider this. IF, and I do mean IF, there's something going on between Donovan and this Katherine Dawson, why would he have us out searching for her? Why give us an artist's sketch to show around town? Why not send us off in some other direction as a decoy?"  
  
They all sat their in silence and pondered the points that Alex had just brought up.  
  
"She's right," Cody said, "it wouldn't make any sense to have us search so close to where she really is."  
  
The four spent the next hour discussing a hundred scenarios, and came to no conclusions. Only one person could give them the answers that they needed to fill in the blanks. And at the moment he was nowhere around.  
  
By 7:30, they had exhausted all possible discussion on the subject. And at 7:35, Frank entered the building to find all four sitting at the table, staring at him in disbelief.  
  
"Good morning," he said and received only stares as a reply.   
  
"Does someone want to fill me in on what's going on?" Frank asked.  
  
"Why don't you start?" Jake answered smugly.   
  
"What do you mean? Fill you in on what?"   
  
"Oh, let me see……….how about McCauley's Bar…….Saturday night……….Amanda Blake or should I say Katherine Dawson and ……….oh that's right, you!"  
  
"I don't like your tone, Agent Shaw."  
  
"My tone!?!?! What the hell does my tone have to do with it?!? What I'd like to know, is what you were doing out on a date with the woman we've been hunting for two months???"  
  
"Jake!" Alex interjected. "Calm down! This isn't going to get us anywhere if the two of you start shouting at each other!"  
  
"You know, you're right Alex. We' don't want to get Donovan here all worked up, 'cause he's liable to pull a gun on me again! Isn't that right?"  
  
Frank should have realized what their reaction would be when they found out. And he had no doubt that they would have found out eventually. After all he had sent them right to the center of the action, so to speak. But Jake's words still stung, only because he knew that he deserved every one of them.  
  
"Do you want to keep yelling, Jake, or would you prefer that I offer some explanations?" Frank answered in return.  
  
"How are we supposed to believe a word that you say, if you don't mind me asking?" Jake inquired sarcastically.  
  
Frank looked down at the table and then back at the group. "I suppose I deserve that. But if you don't want to believe me, I have more proof."  
  
"What kind of proof?" Monica asked.  
  
"I think he's referring to me."   
  
All heads turned to see Katherine Dawson standing in the room behind them.  
  
  
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Next chapter: Can Katherine convince the group that she's telling the truth?  
And exactly what is Frank's plan??  
  
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	10. Chapter Ten

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Ten  
  
  
  
  
One hour earlier - 6:30AM, Frank's apartment  
  
  
  
"You want me to do what?!?!" she nearly shrieked.   
  
"You heard me," he stated matter-of-factly while lacing up his shoes  
  
"Did I hear you……yeah. Do I think you're crazy……..absolutely. Am I coming with you……..NO WAY!!!" she informed him while finishing the buttons on her blouse.  
  
"Katherine….."  
  
"Don't Katherine me! And while we're on the subject……I hate that name."  
  
"What name?"  
  
"Katherine. My grandmother, who I couldn't stand I'll have you know, was named Katherine, and unfortunately, I was named after her."  
  
"Alright. What would you like me to call you……..Amanda?" he said trying to hide a smile. She turned to glare at him.  
  
"You're good at a lot of things Frank Donovan, but being funny isn't one of them," she replied before turning her back on him so she could go find her own shoes in the living room.  
  
After finishing the laces on his other shoe, he followed her. "OK, seriously, what would you like me to call you?" he asked apologetically.  
  
"How about Kate?"  
  
"Fine. Kate it is. So now that we have that important piece of business out of the way, can we get back to the discussion we started earlier?"   
  
"There was not, and there will not be, any discussion. I'm not coming with you. Plain and simple."  
  
"Kath……..Kate, look. I can't protect you when I'm across town and you're here! You're coming with me!"  
  
She turned to stare at him, eyes blazing. "I know you're going to find this hard to believe, but I actually was able to make it on my own all these years……..without YOU!!! I can take care of myself."  
  
"Oh yeah! I can see how great a job you've done of that. You're on the run. You have no home, no identity, and there are probably hired guns after you as we speak. Oh, I can see why you wouldn't want any help!"  
  
By the time he was finished with his little rant, she was fuming and more than a little hurt. She turned from him and grabbed her coat, heading for the door.  
  
"And where the hell do you think you're going?" he growled at her.  
  
"I'm getting the hell away from you!" she informed him before heading for the door. But just as she got to it and started turning the knob, Frank reached over her shoulder and slammed his hand against the door halting her departure.  
  
"You can't leave," he said in a sullen voice.  
  
And as she turned around to give him a piece of her mind, the words died on her lips. She saw the look in his eyes and immediately wanted to do anything but leave. She could see the depth of his feelings for her in that one look, and wished yet again that the circumstances surrounding this relationship were anything but what they were. She closed her eyes and sighed wearily.  
  
"Frank………I know you're trying to protect me and for that I am eternally grateful, but just because you've chosen to believe my story doesn't mean that everyone else will. There are four more people on this team of yours. What if they don't see things the same way you do? What if one of them decides to go against you and turn me in? And even worse, what will happen to you if the powers-that-be find out that you've been helping me? There's too much at risk, Frank. I won't let you do it. Period."  
  
He simply stared at her for a minute and she tried to read what was going on behind those soft brown eyes, but he was a mystery to her at this moment. She had no idea if she was getting through to him. So she waited tensely for his response, and finally he broke the silence.  
  
"You think you have it all figured out, don't you?" he said in a tone she couldn't quite interpret. "I know the people that I work with. I know how they think, and I can tell you exactly how they'll respond. First they'll be shocked and probably mad as hell, but they'll come around. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. But the bottom line is that we need them if we're going to find a way through this. We have no choice."  
  
"There are always choices."  
  
"Like what? Name one."  
  
She opened her mouth to respond, but silently shut it. Again she closed her eyes and tried to will away the fear that was leaving her insides in knots. Somehow she knew that what he was suggesting was a huge mistake, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of a viable alternative. She opened her eyes again and told him what he wanted to hear.  
  
"Fine. I'll go with you, but I want to state for the record that I think this is a monumental mistake."  
  
Frank wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace and murmured to her, "It's going to be OK. You have to trust me."  
  
She pulled back slightly from him and said, "Trusting you is not the problem. Trusting the rest of the world is what's giving me nightmares," she said in a choked whisper and then held on to him even tighter.  
  
They stayed locked in each other's embrace for what seemed like an eternity, but was in fact just a few moments. Then Frank relinquished his hold on her and said, "It's time to go. It's time to face the music." And taking her hand, they exited his apartment.  
  
  
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7:40AM - The Nest  
  
  
……………………."I think he's referring to me."  
  
When the group heard a strange woman's voice coming from the doorway behind them, all four spun around to see who the intruder was. Shock would have been an understatement.  
  
Alex, Monica and Cody were all pretty much riveted to their seats with their mouths hanging open.   
  
Jake on the other hand, was on his feet immediately and looked ready to do battle.  
"What the hell is she doing here!?!?" he practically growled through clenched teeth,  
his eyes darting back and forth between his boss and the woman that they had been lead to believe was a cold blooded killer.  
  
"Just sit down, Jake, and relax," was Frank's only reply.  
  
"RELAX???!?!? You gotta be kidding me?? You bring a killer in here, uncuffed I might add, and you want me to relax??"  
  
"Jake…….let us explain."  
  
"Us??? There's an us now??" he asked incredulously. He quickly turned to Kate and added, "You work quick, don't ya? So, you figure you get him to sleep with you and he'll do whatever you tell him to?? Was that the plan??"   
  
"Jake!!" Frank started, "you're way out of line here!"  
  
Jake turned to look at his boss. "I'm out of line…………I don't believe this!! I'm not the one fu………."   
  
"Agent Shaw……….my office…………NOW!!!!!!!!!" Frank yelled before grabbing Jake's sleeve and physically pulling him toward the stairs. Jake almost violently yanked his arm away from Frank but didn't halt his progress toward his boss' office. The two reached the top of the steps and the occupants below could hear the door slam shut.  
  
A stunned silence permeated the area surrounding the conference table. After the initial shock of what they had just witnessed began to wear off, the three agents began their scrutiny of the woman who had entered with Frank. None were sure what to make of the situation. The three could see that this was definitely the woman that they had been searching for. Even with the change in hairstyle, the features were the same and the eyes were unmistakable. The question on all their minds, however, was if this was indeed Katherine Dawson, cold blooded killer, why was she standing before them now seemingly free as a bird? Could their boss have been so gullible to believe that she was no longer a threat? They had all seen the way that he had so readily defended her. Could he be letting his obvious attraction to this woman cloud his judgment? But for all three agents, the bottom line was, they knew Frank Donovan well enough to know that there had to be more to the story.   
  
As Kate watched Frank and the other man enter the office, she quickly realized that she was left alone in a room with a group of people who knew absolutely nothing about her other than what they had no doubt read in her official file. As she scanned the faces at the table, that old familiar fear began eating away at her insides. Frank had been the buffer to keep the others at bay, and now without his presence, she felt like the proverbial fox to the hounds. Just as she was wrestling with how best to start her explanation, the woman closest to her finally broke the silence.  
  
"So are you really Katherine Dawson?" Alex started, asking the obvious. She could see how nervous the woman appeared and thought it would be best to open the line of questions with something simple. Just enough to break the ice, so to speak.  
  
"I am," Kate replied and paused briefly before adding, "and I can only imagine what the rest of you think about me and why I'm here. So if you're willing to listen to my story, I'm more than willing to tell you what I can." She looked around the table at the others and saw looks of apprehension colored with curiosity. "I'm just not sure where to begin," she said softly to herself while looking intently at the floor.  
  
"Why don't you start with telling us exactly who you really are," Monica interjected. Kate looked up at her and Monica added, "I mean it's obvious that you're not exactly the woman that we've been led to believe that you were. Otherwise, Frank would never have brought you here the way he did. We all know that," she said pausing to look at Alex and Cody, who nodded briefly in reply. "So fill us in on whatever you said to convince Frank to trust you the way he seems to."  
  
Kate sighed heavily. *Maybe this isn't going to be quite as hard as I thought it would be.* "Thank you, first of all. If I were in your shoes, I'm not so sure that I would be as willing to listen as you all seem to be. I'd probably react more like that colleague of yours," she stated motioning to Frank's closed office door with her head.  
  
"Don't worry too much about Jake," Alex said. "He just has knee jerk reactions to situations where he feels like he's been manipulated. He'll come around once Frank's gotten him calmed down." Kate gave Alex a small smile of appreciation.  
  
"Alright……….here goes," she said as she started to relate her story to the rest of the group. She recounted her story much as she had done for Frank just the night before, stopping briefly here and there to answer a question that one of the three would ask. But all in all, she was very pleased with their attentiveness and very impressed with the insights that she perceived from their questions. Frank was right to be proud of this team. They were intelligent, insightful and willing to listen. As her story unfolded, the three already seemed to be delving into a way to help. Posing possible solutions. Searching for evidence that she may have overlooked. As the conversation developed, she became more at ease and began to believe that Frank had been right. Maybe this group of individuals would be able to find a way out for her. Only one obstacle stood in the way at the moment. And right now, that obstacle sat in Frank's office. Vaguely aware of the conversation going on around her, Kate stood staring at the office windows above her. Would Frank be able to convince Jake to give her a chance, she wondered absently? Or would Jake be the key to her undoing? Mere moments later, the door to the office opened and a very somber Frank Donovan proceeded down the stairs followed by an apparently unwilling Jake Shaw.  
  
Talk at the table had stopped when the two men began to make their way to the lower level. All could see that even though Jake appeared to be calmer, his antagonistic attitude remained just below the surface. Frank walked to the table and glanced briefly at Kate trying to get a sense of how things had proceeded in his absence. What he saw in her eyes reassured him that he had made the right choice in bringing her here. Now if he could only get Jake to listen with an open mind.  
  
"I'm sorry about the interruption," Frank began, "Would someone like to fill me in on what's been discussed.  
  
"Basically, I've told them everything," Kate replied. "And now I'm just fielding any questions that they may have had after I finished my story." Kate glanced briefly at Jake and saw that he was remaining away from the others, leaning on one of the counters near the table, but definitely keeping his distance. It was almost as if joining them at the table would mean acceptance, and she could see that at the moment, he was willing to do anything except acknowledge the situation as it was. She then quickly looked at Frank and could see that he was all but ignoring Jake. *What went on in his office?*  
  
"So what's the consensus?" Frank asked.  
  
"I'd say that we definitely have our work cut out for us," Alex began, "If we're going up against our own government on this one, things are bound to get nasty." As Alex spoke, Jake began to pace the room, head down and clearly agitated. Alex noticed it immediately as did Monica and both looked to Frank to gauge his reaction. If he saw Jake's movements, he didn't let on.  
  
"Has anyone come up with a way to proceed?"  
  
"Not yet," Cody countered. "I think we all need a little more information first. I guess my biggest concern is how far does this corruption extend. If high ranking officials are involved, how do we know who to trust?"  
  
"We can't trust anyone until we get more information."  
  
"So what you're saying is, we're on our own on this one?" Alex asked, again glancing at Jake as he circled the room. She wondered again why Frank wasn't reacting to Jake's apparent upset.   
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying. We rely on our own sources and no others. We trust only the people in this room." At that last remark, Jake made a grumbling sound from across the room.  
  
Frank finally turned to acknowledge the younger man. "Do you have something to say, Agent Shaw?" Frank asked clearly annoyed.  
  
"Damn right I have something to say! You said we can only trust the people in this room. How the hell do we know for sure that we can trust her?" he asked as he motioned toward Kate.   
  
Jake continued as he turned to address his fellow team members. "You all have spent………… what………..," Jake paused to look at his watch. "all of 30 minutes with this woman and you're willing to risk your life for her?!?! Are you really willing to risk your careers and maybe even your lives in trying to help this woman?? I can't believe you're all so willing to follow him," now pointing at Frank, " like sheep to the slaughter. She's got him wrapped around her little finger and you can't see that!"  
  
As Jake began his little tirade, Frank slowly got up from the table. His teeth were clenched and his hands were in fists.   
  
"I'm warning you, Agent Shaw," Frank ground out.  
  
"You're warning me?!?! That's right, I've crossed that line again, haven't I? God forbid anyone question the great and all-powerful Frank Donovan! Am I right?" Jake paused to stare at his teetering on the edge boss. "Jesus, Frank! Can't you see what she's doing?? She's fed you a line of bullshit and you fell for it hook, line and sinker! All I can say is she must have been absolutely great in bed!!"  
  
And before Jake could continue, Frank drew his arm back and hit him across the jaw, using enough force to send the younger man reeling across the room. With his back to the rest of the room, Jake slowly rose from the floor.  
  
After he hit Jake, Frank immediately regretted the move. Some of the anger subsided and he looked around at the rest of group. All of them were on their feet obviously waiting to end the fight quickly if it had indeed continued. He thought he saw a hint of disappointment on their faces. Jake may have indeed, as they say, been asking for it, but he was their boss and they expected a certain code of conduct from him. He'd allowed the situation to escalate instead of taking control and diffusing the moment. After all, he had been a negotiator, hadn't he? He sighed heavily and made a move to help Jake to his feet.   
  
When Frank was within a few feet of him, Jake spun around, gun in hand and pointed it directly at the taller man's chest.   
  
Frank froze where he stood. *Jake wouldn't really shoot me, would he?* And then he thought about just the day before when the situation had been reversed and Jake had been on the receiving end of Frank's gun.   
  
"Look's familiar, doesn't it Frank? And it's all because of her," he added motioning with his head toward a very stunned Kate. "How long are we going to let her continue to tear apart this team? Huh? That's what she's doing. Why can't you see that?" Jake added, voice pleading.  
  
"Jake put the gun down," Frank responded quietly. "You know you don't really want to do this." When Jake made no attempt to respond, Frank continued. "I know the circumstances surrounding this case have been unusual to say the least, but you have to at least listen to what she has to say."   
  
As Frank spoke, Jake began to back his way toward the others in the room, eyes never leaving Frank's. He knew how Frank thought, he'd be willing to take a bullet in order to keep the rest safe. With that, he spun quickly and grabbed Kate, pulling her body in front of him and pointed the gun at her head. As he did so, Frank pulled his own gun and aimed it at Jake.   
  
The two men just stared each other down, neither moving, neither breaking eye contact. Alex, Cody and Monica watched in disbelief. All three were stunned by the chain of events and were unsure about what to do to help. Kate for her part, was trying to remain relaxed. If the situation presented itself, she would try to take the gun from Jake herself.  
  
"Jake," Frank finally spoke, "all you have to do is put the gun down and back away. I know this isn't what you really want. If you don't want a part of this case, then just walk away from it. No one's going to force you to help out."  
  
"And you're going to just let me leave………even after this?" Jake asked skeptically.  
  
"If that's what you want, then yes. You just walk away."  
  
Jake seemed to think over the proposal, and then replied, "Alright. I'm going to lower the gun." He slowly dropped the gun from Kate's head and eased his grip from around her. When she felt his arm loosen enough she slowly stepped away from him and moved toward Frank, who still had his own gun pointing steadily at Jake.  
  
"Alex……..take his gun," Frank quietly commanded.  
  
Alex moved to do as her boss had asked and gave Jake an apologetic look. He relinquished the gun easily and turned to give his partner a knowing look in return. At that, Frank dropped his gun and put it away.  
  
The two men continued to stare at each other, but then Frank finally broke the silence.  
  
"I said you could leave."  
  
"I'd be glad to," was Jake's only reply before giving the rest of his team a quick glance and turning once more to glare at Kate. "All I'm going to say is that some day, you're going to regret listening to a word this woman had to say." And with that he exited the building.  
  
  
Once outside, Jake mumbled to himself, "I told him that if he ever pulled a gun on me again, he better wish that he killed me. Paybacks can be hell."  
  
  
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	11. Chapter Eleven

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Eleven  
  
  
  
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I know that the last chapter seemed like a re-run of earlier action, but please believe me when I say that the final confrontation between Jake and Frank was a necessity. All explanations will come in the next few chapters. Please hang in there with me!!  
  
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After Jake's exit, Frank stood with his back to the rest of the group, just staring at the door that Jake had used. The silence was deafening, and no one seemed quite sure how to continue on. Finally, Kate slowly approached him and placed her hand gently on his back. He visibly stiffened as if his thoughts had taken him so far away that he had been unaware of his present surroundings.   
  
"We need to talk………alone," she nearly whispered.  
  
Frank turned slowly and stared down at the woman in front of him. He saw that the look on her face was one of sympathy and………..something else………..fear perhaps? He reached out and gently rubbed his hand up and down her arm in a reassuring gesture while giving her a slight smile. A smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.   
  
"Let's go up to my office. We can talk there," he replied and turned to head toward the stairs. Before reaching the foot of the steps, he suddenly remembered the other agents in the room. Almost as an afterthought, he turned to them and said, "Monica, why don't you share what you found from Katherine's file with Alex and Cody. And now that you've heard her story, begin to formulate possible plans of action."  
  
The pair continued their ascent to the office and closed the door behind them leaving the three remaining witnesses in utter confusion.  
  
  
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"Will somebody please explain to me what just happened," Cody said first with his eyes still glued to the closed office door. Then he turned to look at his two fellow agents who looked just as stunned as he felt. *Good! I'm not the only one who's lost.*  
  
"I mean, what the hell is going on here?" Cody continued. "We all know that Donovan and Jake don't always see eye-to-eye, but did either of you ever think that you'd see them actually pull guns on each other?? This is just messed up! Plain and simple."  
  
"I knew that Jake was really pissed off last night after we left that bar, but I would have never expected what I saw this morning," Alex stated and then added, "Maybe what happened yesterday morning got to him more than I thought it did. It's not every day that your boss sticks a gun in your face."   
  
"And thank God for that, or I'd have to ask for better life insurance coverage," Cody interjected. He looked at the two women who were staring back at him with a 'Don't try to be funny today, Cody' look on their faces. He just smiled sheepishly in response.  
  
"Monica, what's your take on this situation?" Alex inquired.  
  
The profiler glanced briefly in Alex's direction and started to pace. "I honestly don't know what to make of it. The only thing that I can deduce from either one's behavior is that they're both under considerable strain. Frank has been caught in a situation that he's never been in before. Namely, he's developed feelings for the suspect."  
  
"Yeah!" Cody interrupted, "Did you all catch that little rubbing of the arm maneuver just before they went upstairs? It's like he totally forgot that there were other people in the room!"  
  
"Do you think that's what this is all about?" Alex questioned. "That he's really fallen for this woman and he can't think straight?"  
  
"That's my guess," Monica replied. "That and the fact that if her story is true, we've all been lied to. Our own government is in pursuit of this woman and we're the pawns being used to bring about her capture."   
  
The three mulled over that last statement trying to reason through what could only be described as an impossible situation.   
  
"And what about Jake?" Cody finally asked. "We all know that he can be a little………oh, how should I say this………….volatile at times, but Jesus!" To which he received an icy glare from Alex. "Ah, come on, you've seen the way he acts first and thinks later! Some day he was bound to go over the edge. Unfortunately, he picked today to do it!" Again Alex was glowering at him. "I know, I know, shut up Cody!"   
  
Monica considered briefly what Cody had said and added, "Cody's right……..to a point. Jake has always had a very definite edge to his personality. It probably comes from the way he was raised, having only himself to rely on. But there is something else to consider. He looks up to Donovan. As much as the two of them butted heads at the beginning, Donovan's style of leadership and discipline were exactly what Jake needed. He needed structure in his life and Donovan provided that. When Frank lost it yesterday, I think Jake lost some of the respect that he had for him. And now with Frank battling his own demons, Jake is at a loss."  
  
"Wow," Cody began, "you're good. No wonder you make the big bucks. I just have to wonder how you'd analyze me."  
  
"Honey………there ain't enough money in the world for that," Monica deadpanned.  
  
"So now what?" Alex inquired.  
  
"We do like the man asked. We formulate a plan on how to proceed."  
  
"I just have one more question though," Cody stated as the two women turned to face him. "What if Jake's right? What if she really is manipulating us and Donovan?"  
  
The three looked from one to another and finally Alex responded. "I say we cross that bridge if and when we get there. And then burn it if we have to."   
  
  
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While the three agents were discussing the situation downstairs, Frank and Kate were having a rather heated debate of their own.  
  
"I'm only going to tell you this one more time………this is a huge mistake!" Kate exclaimed.  
  
Frank sighed once more, and simply stared at the woman leaning against his desk. "What if I were to tell you that there's no other way? What would you say then?"  
  
She looked at him blankly and said, "Frank………Jake's right. No matter how true my story may be, the real truth is that this is tearing apart your team. And I can see how much it's tearing you apart as well. The only viable solution to all of this is for me to disappear."  
  
"No," he simply stated, "I'm not going to let that happen. I'm not going to let you face this alone. End of discussion."  
  
"Excuse me?!!? Are you just dismissing me like my opinion doesn't count here?? I will go where I want……..when I want……….got it!! If I want to vanish without a trace, that's exactly what I'll do! I don't need your approval, Mr. Special Agent!"   
  
With that she started for the door, but stopped when she heard Frank say softly, "Please don't go." She turned to confront him, and found him staring out the window and not facing her. Something in the vulnerability of his position or the quiet anguish she heard in his voice tore at her heart.   
  
Finally Frank turned to face her and said, "You're right. I have no hold over you. If you want to leave, I can't stop you, but I'm asking you to stay. I'm asking you not to walk out of my life. The thought of you being on the run and all alone again would kill me." he let those words sink in and added, "Please let me help you."  
  
Kate could do nothing but stare back at him. She knew he meant every word and she somehow also knew how much each of those words had cost him. And that fact made each syllable even more precious. Tears welled up in her eyes as she slowly crossed the room to stop directly in front of him. She brought her hand up to his face and lightly ran her fingertips along his cheek. She stared at him as if she were gazing upon him for the first time, or as if she were afraid that she would never see him again. Then she murmured to him, "I promise……….I won't leave. But you have to swear in return that I won't regret this decision," she added while gazing into his eyes.  
  
"I swear to protect you with everything I have, with everything I am. That's the only promise that I can give you."  
  
And as she started to protest, he cut off those words by lowering his mouth to hers.  
The kiss was filled with quiet passion tinged with desperation. Both knew that what lay ahead of them was filled with uncertainty and because of that fact they clung to each other as if this may be their last moment together.   
  
  
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A short time later, the two emerged from Frank's office and proceeded to the main floor in order to join the others who had been busily at work. The three paused briefly to glance at Kate and Frank. Alex quickly noted Kate's red rimmed eyes and wondered absently about what had been said between the two.  
  
Frank stopped at the conference table and said, "I think before we go any further, we need to discuss what's happened. Would everyone please sit down." He paused while the group made their way to the table and sat down.  
  
"I can tell you now, that from what I know, this could very well get messy. If my suspicions are correct, countless officials may be involved in this cover up and without knowing who may be involved, we're on our own. Jake was right. What I'm asking you to do is putting your careers and possibly your lives on the line. If anyone wants out, please feel free to leave now. I won't think any less of you."  
He looked around the table and saw each agent lost in their own thoughts.  
  
"Alex? What do you think?"  
  
She paused only briefly and then stated, "I'm in. If everything Katherine's said is true, then we have to take these bastards down. If we don't, God only knows who their next target will be."   
  
"Monica?"  
  
"I agree with Alex. I joined this team so that I could help bring criminals to justice. Just because these individuals work for the same government we do, doesn't make them any less a criminal. In fact, I'd say it makes them even more so."  
  
Finally, Frank turned to his last agent. "Cody?"  
  
"Do you seriously think that I'm going to let you touch my computers without me being here? I think not!" he said with a wink.  
  
Frank smiled briefly at his tech op. *I can always count on Cody to lighten the mood.*  
  
"Alright, with that settled. The first course of business is where to hide Kate while this investigation continues," Frank said.  
  
"There are several safe houses in the area. Most are available at the moment," Alex stated.  
  
"And all are known to anyone who works in either the Bureau or any other branch of the Justice Department. We can't risk it," he responded.  
  
Cody piped in, "Maybe she could just stay here for the duration."  
  
"Maybe………" Frank said as he mulled over the possibility, "but I'm not sure this is the most secure location."  
  
"Why not?" Monica questioned. "After all, as far as the Bureau is concerned, we're still on Katherine's trail. They don't know that we've tracked her down, so to speak."  
  
"Yes, but………"  
  
"You're thinking about Jake, aren't you," Alex interrupted.   
  
Frank locked eyes with Alex and she had her answer. At this moment, he didn't trust Jake, and that knowledge almost left her breathless. As a team, they held each other's lives in their hands. Trust was implicit and unquestionable. How could the events of the last 36 hours have deteriorated that trust so quickly?   
  
"He won't turn her in," she stated with emphatic conviction.  
  
"Are you 100% sure of that Alex? Are you willing to bet Kate's life on it?"  
  
Alex was speechless. A very short time ago, she thought she had known Jake as well as she knew herself. But now after what she'd recently witnessed, she wasn't absolutely positive of how he would react to anything. Could he really turn on his own??  
  
Frank saw her battling with what he had just told her. It was almost painful to watch. He knew that Jake and Alex were very close. They were partners. And for her to question the loyalty of her partner was shaking her to the very core. He saw her close her eyes and sigh heavily. And not for the first time since this case began, Frank wondered how many casualties they would leave in their wake.  
  
Alex opened her eyes and with a defeated tone asked, "So do you have a plan for where it would be best to take her?"  
  
Frank nodded and said, "I think so, but I think it would be best if the rest of you didn't know."  
  
"And why is that exactly?" Alex questioned with a slight irritation in her voice, "You don't trust us either?"  
  
"It's not that believe me. If something were to happen, I want the rest of you to be able to answer truthfully that you don't know where she is. Make no mistake. We are now in harm's way. If we're caught aiding and abetting before we can prove Kate's case, we'll be the ones to go down, and I want to be able to protect the rest of you as much as possible."  
  
"Frank……." Monica began, but Frank quickly cut her off.  
  
"This is non-negotiable. This is the price of your participation, so to speak. If I could do this by myself I would, but I need your help to gather the information necessary. But as far as any direct involvement, that's where I draw the line. End of discussion."  
  
Kate had been watching the interaction between Frank and his agents in silence. Her eyes darted from one to the other as they spoke, feeling like an outsider watching the action through a pane of glass and not able to participate. But as Frank's last statement hung in the air, unchallenged, she finally broke her silent observance.  
  
"Does he always issue ultimatums like that?"  
  
The four turned to face her as if finally realizing that she was there. After looking at each other and then at Frank, Monica finally responded, "Oh honey, you have no idea!" And at that the five broke into smiles.  
  
"Alright," Frank interjected, "If we're through here at the moment, I think I'd better get Kate to a safe hiding place."  
  
The three agents nodded and returned to their work.  
  
After Frank and Kate exited the building and got into his car, she finally turned to him and said, "Well…………I think that went well. Don't you?"  
  
He turned to stare at her in disbelief and caught the hint of humor in her eyes, and had to chuckle. "Yeah, you're right. If things get any better, I don't think I'll survive it!" he added as he pulled out into traffic.  
  
  
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Wednesday morning -- 10:35AM  
  
  
Jake exited the taxi that he had taken from the airport, and stared up at the building in front of him. The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building. He took a shuddering breath and steeled his nerves. *I can do this! I know I can do this!*  
  
As he climbed the steps to the main entrance, he thought once more over the events of the last couple of days. He knew that someone had to take this step. He just wished once more, before placing his hand on the door, that somehow it could have been someone else taking his place.   
  
As Jake entered the lobby area, he immediately went toward the reception desk, but was intercepted by a man who obviously knew who he was.  
  
"Agent Shaw?" Jake nodded in response. "I'm Director Lindford. It's a pleasure to meet you. The rest are waiting for you in my office upstairs. Shall we go?"  
  
"The rest?" Jake inquired.  
  
"Of course. When you call in and say that a man like Frank Donovan is aiding and abetting a known criminal, you're going to gain the attention of just about everyone in the Bureau. Surely you must have realized that?"  
  
Jake stared at the man blankly, and then consented to follow. *I know this has to be done. So why do I feel like Judas?*  
  
  
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	12. Chapter Twelve

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Twelve  
  
  
  
  
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I hope everyone is still hanging in there. Like I said, all explanations will be coming in the next couple of chapters. And as always, thanks for the feedback. Since this is my first fanfic, all constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks again!!  
  
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Wednesday Morning -- 10:35AM -- Somewhere in the greater Chicago area  
  
  
"Alright…………….I'll be there in about an hour………………Are Alex and Cody on their way?……………….OK……………….Right……………….Thanks Monica…………Bye." Frank disconnected the cell phone and turned to face Kate who was sitting across the living room on the couch, watching him anxiously.  
  
"You have to leave?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.   
  
"Yes. Monica said that she uncovered something, but she didn't want to get into it over the phone," he answered as he watched her ringing her hands endlessly.  
  
He knew that he should leave soon, but thought he had a few minutes in order to calm her nerves. He walked over to the couch and sat beside her. He reached out to take one of her hands and practically had to wrench the two apart.  
  
"It's going to be OK," he said reassuringly. "No one knows you're here. Not even my team. And no one's going to find you. You'll be safe here." As he spoke, he rubbed one of her hands between his own. And due to either his words or the motion of his hands, she seemed to calm down somewhat.  
  
"I know. I'm not worried about my safety. I know that no one will find me, and even if they did, I'm not exactly without the resources to protect myself. No………I'm more worried about you. If they find out that you've hidden me away instead of turning me in, you'll become just another obstacle to them. And these men simply eliminate obstacles without a second thought."  
  
"Ahhhh, but you forget. I'm the only one who knows where you are. If they eliminate me, they'll never find you." He paused to let the weight of his words sink in, and then haltingly continued, "But if anything should happen…….."  
  
Kate stood up suddenly and said, "I don't want to talk about it! You said it yourself……..they can't eliminate you, so don't even say it!!" She paced quickly out of the room and into the kitchen. When Frank followed her, he found her staring out the back window at the large high-fenced backyard.  
  
"Katie, look at me," he quietly commanded as he placed his hands on her shoulders. When she made no motion to move, he nudged her until she turned to face him. Her head was down as she refused to face him. He lifted his hand to her chin and tilted her head up so that he could see her, only to find her eyes closed. "Look at me," he said again. At first he thought that she would ignore him, but her eyes slowly fluttered open and what he saw in them made his heart ache. He gazed into their depths and could see the well of her feelings for him ready to overflow along with the unshed tears.   
  
He could do nothing but stare at her in return, speechless. No words that he could think of at the moment seemed adequate. Maybe after this was all said and done, he could finally tell her everything. But for now, he simply wrapped his arms around her and held on to her as long as he could.   
  
After they stood together for what seemed like hours, but had only been mere moments, Kate finally murmured, "Will you come back here later tonight?"  
  
"I'm not sure. It depends on what Monica and the others have uncovered. I can't promise anything."  
  
"Will you at least call me later so that I know you're alright?"  
  
Frank pulled back from her and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She noticed the hesitation and answered for him, "You're afraid that they may have already sensed that something's wrong and went ahead and had you and your other agents put under surveillance. Isn't that right?"  
  
Frank sighed and answered, "Maybe. I don't really think they've made that type of move yet, but I don't want to take the risk. So until Cody can rig something up for us, no communication outside of this house."  
  
She wearily nodded her head, knowing that he was right. And then added, "I guess I'll just have to keep myself entertained while you're gone."  
  
"Which reminds me. Stay in the house. Don't answer the door or the phone. Keep the shades drawn. And remember that the lights in the house are on timers, so don't try to switch any on manually. The neighbors think that the owners are on vacation and are apt to report seeing anything unusual."  
  
"Won't they think that your coming and going would be unusual?"  
  
"Probably not. I'm good friends with the couple that live here, so the neighbors will just think that I'm here to watch after the house while they're away."  
  
"Very clever, Agent Donovan."  
  
He smiled at her and said, "I have my moments."  
  
"Soooo………I guess it's just lonely ol' me until you get back. Whatever shall I do while you're away I wonder………." With that she rose up and captured his lips with her own. Her kiss was full of passion and Frank responded immediately. As mouths slanted one over the other again and again and tongues dueled furiously, their breathing became ragged as both were completely caught up in this single moment. The outside world faded away and the only thing that remained was the passion that the two shared.   
  
Frank suddenly pulled himself away and held Kate at arms length trying to regain control of himself. He finally was able to look her and what he saw was almost his undoing. Her pupils were dilated from her state of arousal. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were slightly swollen and still moist from the kiss that they had shared. He groaned and nearly flung her away from himself. He turned away from her running his fingers through his short hair in frustration. When he again faced her, he had only one question.  
  
"Why are you doing this now?" he said still breathless.  
  
She smiled seductively and said, "I want you to come back to me later, so I thought I'd leave you with a little incentive."  
  
He stared at her in disbelief and then slowly shook his head.  
  
"You……..," he said pointing at her, "are evil, young lady! How the hell am I supposed to function when all I can think about is dragging you back upstairs and making love to you all afternoon?"  
  
"Well, if you insist," she said enticingly as she slowly sashayed toward him.  
  
"No!!" he yelled and backed further away from her. "I'm having a hard enough time as it is, don't fan the flames any more!"  
  
"I'm sorry…….what did you say was hard?" she asked teasingly with a lecherous smile on her face.  
  
Groaning out loud, he practically stalked over to her, and captured her mouth in one last soul searing kiss. Ending the kiss abruptly, he practically tossed her against the wall only a foot away and proceeded out the door as quickly as he could.  
  
Kate was left bewildered and more than a little excited. "Wow………now that's an exit."  
  
  
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11:45AM -- The Nest  
  
  
Frank entered the building and quickly found his agents gathered at the table engrossed in some sort of fervent discussion.  
  
"Good morning," Frank said.  
  
Cody looked at his watch and then his boss and said, "Technically." Frank frowned at the response but chose to ignore it.  
  
"So what do we have?"  
  
"What we have here…….." Cody drawled in his best southern accent, "is failure to communicate." After which he turned to the others with a big grin on his face.  
  
Frank, Alex and Monica stopped what they were doing and just stared at the tech op.  
  
"Cool Hand Luke……….I watched it last night…………..Paul Newman?…………George Kennedy?………….Don't you people ever watch old movies for Christ's sake??" he added, now feeling uncomfortable.  
  
The other three stared a moment longer and then Frank finally said, "So what do we have that has NOTHING to do with old movies?" Shooting Cody a quick annoyed glance.  
  
"As I was about to say before Mr. Movie Mogul interrupted, after you left yesterday, the three of us sat down and went over Katherine's file one last time. Something had always bothered me about it, but I thought that two fresh pair of eyes may notice what I had overlooked."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And……..as much as I hate to admit this, it was actually Cody that noticed the problem."  
  
"Hey! I have my moments of brilliance! Don't sound so surprised!" Cody interjected.  
  
"Let me guess," Frank started, "the file is too perfect."  
  
"You knew already?" was all that Monica could ask.  
  
"I was bothered by the file too, so after looking over it for the 50th time, it finally hit me. Everything was flawless. Every moment of time in this woman's life was documented down to practically the second. Complete names and dates of all contacts made. No blanks to be filled in. So much detail to go on and yet supposedly no other agency or group had been able to come close to catching her."  
Frank paced the room while the rest absorbed what he had just told them.  
  
"It was obvious that the file was a very good forgery. Too good. Now the question is………why us? Why were we the ones brought in on this case?" Frank pondered.  
  
"Well, capturing a wanted felon is right up our alley. Don't you think?" Alex asked.  
  
"Yes, if that's all this was. My real question is………did these people consider the possibility that we would find out the truth along the way?" Frank returned.  
  
"Are you asking if they asked for this unit to take over the case because of your background? That they wanted you to find out that Katherine's CIA and not a contract killer?" Monica asked with a twinge of disbelief in her voice.  
  
"You think I'm being paranoid?" Frank asked as he stopped his pacing.  
  
Monica sighed, looked down at the table in front of her for a few seconds, and then finally replied, "Under any other circumstances, I would say yes……you're being paranoid, but with the twists and turns this case is taking, quite frankly, I'm not so sure."  
  
"Can I ask a question?" Alex interjected. Frank turned to look at her and nodded for her to continue. "All right……….since we're talking about you're credentials, how is it that you didn't know this woman already?………… I mean, she's worked for the CIA for many years……….you worked for the CIA for many years………..how did the two of you never cross paths before? If you don't mind me asking?"  
  
Frank resumed his pacing while pondering his answer. "You have to understand the Company. There are very few who know all the details about every project that's underway. What I mean is………unless you're a high ranking official, you don't really know what your fellow agents are up to. That's why there's such an aura of mystery to the division. As secretive as the Bureau can be, the CIA is a hundred times worse."  
  
"I guess that's what really has me worried ………the implications of this case," Frank continued. "Kate says that she was receiving classified assignments from high ranking officials and that they're the ones who double crossed her when she refused to follow through on one of those assignments. Now…….not only do we have to find out who in the Company is involved, but because our orders were given through the Bureau, I'm afraid that officials there may be involved as well."  
  
All three of the agents still sitting at the table stared straight ahead looking a little shell-shocked.   
  
"Man…….we are in deep shit," Cody muttered.  
  
"Exactly. So that's why I'm going to ask all of you once again, if you still want to continue with this. Now's the time to get clear, if you want out."  
  
"OK, before you go through roll call," Alex interrupted. "We all had a little time this morning to discuss what this case could possibly mean, and we all three decided that we're in, no matter what. So……………. let's get down to business."  
  
Frank looked at his agents and gave them a rare Frank Donovan smile. *They can still surprise me sometimes.*  
  
"Alright…………since that's out of the way, does anyone have any questions before we continue?"   
  
Cody raised his hand timidly, and Frank acknowledged him, "Cody."  
  
"OK, I know I'm going to regret asking this, but……….when Katherine was telling us her story, she never really went into too many details. You know………like………the where's and when's and most importantly…………the who's. I guess I was wondering what kind of targets she was assigned to take out and more importantly, what one made her walk away?"   
  
Frank looked at the younger man and inwardly sighed. *I was hoping they wouldn't ask that question just yet. Well….might as well get it out of the way.*   
He looked at his three agents and knew that by telling them, there would be no turning back for any of them. What did Kate say? They would just be one more obstacle to be eliminated. He steeled his determination and finally answered.  
  
"To answer your question………most of her targets were heads of drug cartels, known terrorists and the like, but the one that she couldn't follow through on was…………a hit on Senator John Michaelson."   
  
Their jaws dropped simultaneously and all three looked like deer caught in headlights. It took several minutes before any of them could move or speak, The implications were overwhelming. A member or members of the CIA had in essence put out a hit on another high ranking government official.  
  
Cody picked up a pen and started scribbling furiously. Monica looked at him and asked, "What are you writing?"  
  
"I'm jotting down a reminder to myself to stop asking stupid questions," he replied and then turned to her and said, "Ignorance really is bliss. Not to mention generally a whole lot safer."  
  
  
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Wednesday afternoon -- 5:50PM -- FBI Headquarters  
  
  
Jake exited Director Lindford's office and stretched his aching muscles. He had been sitting in that room for the past 7 hours. Even lunch had been brought in so that the discussion would not be interrupted.   
  
He sighed as he closed his eyes and leaned with his back against a nearby wall. Now he knew what 'getting the third degree' really meant. The questions had been endless. Every detail of what he told them was dissected and examined. The men in the room had wanted practically a minute by minute run down of their handling of this case. More importantly, they wanted a blow by blow description of how Frank had conducted it. What had been said to who and when. At what point had Jake realized that his boss had crossed the line. What was Frank's excuse if any? What did Jake believe was the nature of Frank's relationship with Katherine Dawson ?  
  
Question after question after question………. And as the afternoon wore on, Jake felt worse and worse and worse. He might as well have taken a dagger and thrust it between Frank's ribs himself, because as sure as the sun would rise tomorrow, he had just hammered the first nail in his coffin. Jake knew this had to be done. Someone had to do it, to put a stop to it, and he wearily knew that he was the only one that would have been able to handle it.   
  
Not for the first time that day, Jake thought about the rest of his team members and wondered what they would think of his actions. How could he ever face them again?   
Especially Alex. She was his partner. His other half, more emotionally connected than most couples that he knew. Would she ever be able to understand that this is what he had to do? Could she ever forgive him?   
  
As all of these thoughts raced through his head, he wondered if he looked as tired as he felt. He didn't think that he'd ever felt this weary in his life. *Betrayal is a tiring business.*  
  
Just then the door to the office opened and the secretary peered out at the young agent. "They're ready for you again, Agent Shaw."   
  
Jake hung his head and wondered absently what they could possibly have left to talk about. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he already knew the answer. They had gone over the details of the case first and then had asked him to step out of the office while they discussed a few matters. No doubt what was to come, was formulating a plan of how to proceed. And somehow he had a sinking feeling that they would ask him to be part of it.   
  
"Agent Shaw?"   
  
Jake looked up at the woman standing in the doorway and gave her a quick smile. Then he proceeded to enter the office yet again. One more nail in the coffin.  
  
  
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	13. Chapter Thirteen

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
  
  
  
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Thanks again, one and all, for reading and reviewing!! I took a couple of days off to refresh the creative juices. (Yeah me!!) I know this is a long story, so think of this chapter as a little cleansing of the palate between courses! ^_-  
  
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Thursday morning -- 1:35AM -- A suburb of Chicago  
  
  
  
Frank pulled into the driveway of the home which was substituting as a safe house for Kate. He had had every intention of returning to his own apartment when he left work, but as soon as he got in his car all he could think about was the kiss that she had laid on him just Wednesday morning. ** You're pathetic Donovan! It was just a kiss! You've had better! …………. Yeah right! So why can't you get this woman out of your head? ** He was angry with himself more than anything. He knew better than to get emotionally involved with anyone he was working with. Or at least he thought he'd known better. But here he was, head over heals just 5 days after meeting the woman. ** Has it really only been 5 days? ** He shook his head in disbelief. ** Maybe hell is a little colder tonight, ** he chuckled.  
  
He sat in the darkened car after turning off the ignition. He was tired……exhausted actually. It had been a long day of speculation, information searches and dead ends. He felt like they were spinning their wheels again. Just like they had when they had initially tried to hunt Kate down. Before they found out the true story of what was going on. Part of him almost wished that the case had turned out to be a simple search for a wanted felon. But then if it had, he would never have Kate in his life. As complicated as their lives were, he didn't think he could trade what they had together for anything. ** And that, my friend, is why you dragged your tired ass over here in the dead of night! ** He sighed heavily, closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest. As he gathered what strength he had remaining to make the trek into the house, he thought back over the events of the day.  
  
After the team had gotten over the initial shock of what they were actually up against, all three had jumped in feet first. Alex had volunteered to get in touch with some contacts she still had in the Attorney General's office. Monica and Cody had spent all afternoon digging up what they could on Senator John Michaelson, such as who he associated himself with, which lobbyists were bending his ear, who he had butted heads with in the past couple of years, and most importantly, who is enemies were. They also combed through financial records, looking for inconsistencies and any questionable transactions.   
  
And as for Frank, he had spent the day getting in touch with the very short list of friends and contacts that he knew he could trust without question. Most had no information at all. Some were, understandably, afraid to talk. The Senator alone was a formidable man to deal with, but toss in a few hints about government conspiracy and even most hardened agent became a little squeamish. However, one longtime associate had agreed to tell Frank what he knew or suspected, but would only divulge that info if Frank agreed to meet with him in private the next morning. So the meeting was set for 11:00AM on Thursday morning at a neighborhood park. Secluded enough to insure privacy and out in the open enough that if anyone tried to used surveillance equipment, it would be nearly impossible to pick up anything audible.   
  
Frank sighed again and thought about how the events of the last couple of days had led him down a path that he had always feared to tread. Of course throughout his career with several government agencies, he had always heard rumors about 'this agent' being on the take, or 'that official' being in so-and-so's pocket, but he had chosen to ignore whatever innuendos had been thrown about. He set about doing his job to the best of his ability and left the policing of the government to the capable hands of others. Now, after all this time in public service, Frank began to wonder if anyone ever HAD indeed been monitoring the actions of those in positions of power. He shuddered to think that the most powerful had been left to their own devices without a series of checks and balances. **Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Better not forget that! **   
  
Frank looked at his watch again. It was now almost 2:00AM. ** Have I really been sitting here for almost a half hour? ** He shook himself out of his reverie and finally exited the vehicle. He approached the house with senses alert, searching for the unordinary. The house was completely dark, save for one small light that had been left on in the kitchen. He made his way around to the back of the house and quietly unlocked the backdoor and proceeded inside. He quickly resecured the door and turned off and reset the alarm. Once inside, he slowly edged his way toward where he remembered the stairs to be. He remembered telling Kate not to turn on any of the lights because they were on timers, and laughed when he thought that he'd likely break his fool neck tripping over something in the blackness. He soon found the foot of the stairs and cautiously made his way up to the second floor. He tried to remain as quiet as possible so that he wouldn't rouse her from sleep. Once up on the landing he proceeded to the door, which was partially open at the end of the hall.   
  
Once inside the room, he had to let his eyes adjust to the almost complete darkness. He could barely make out her sleeping form on the bed and listened intently to the steady rhythm of her breathing. After a few moments, he felt he could see enough to undress and join her. As noiselessly as possible, he began to remove his clothes. His shoes and socks were the first to go, followed by his button down shirt and then his belt. Just as he had loosened the buckle on his belt, he turned toward the bed again. What he saw nearly stopped his heart. Even in the shadows that enveloped the room, he could plainly see her perched on the corner of the bed holding a gun directly pointed at his chest.   
  
Frank froze, as he was not sure if she could see him clearly enough to know that it was him and not some intruder. It was also possible that she was still half asleep. Either way, he tried to remain as non-threatening as possible. As he slowly raised his hands in a supplicating gesture, he tried to calm his breathing. ** Nice and slow, Donovan. No quick or sudden gestures! This is one woman you DO NOT want to appear hostile to. ** The two remained stone still. Finally Kate broke the silence.  
  
"Who said you could stop undressing?"  
  
Frank's mouth dropped open. Of all the things that he could have ever imagined her saying, this was WAY at the bottom of the list. And it wasn't just what she had said, it had been the way she had said it. Her voice sounded peculiarly malevolent tinged with………….with…………desire? The combination proved to be wreaking havoc with his body. Just a few seconds before, he could think of nothing else than climbing into the bed next to her and sleeping for the next 20 or so hours. And now……….well, he still wanted to crawl into bed, but sleep was the last thing he had on his mind.  
  
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear Mr. Special Agent man. I want you to finish taking off the remaining articles left on your body……….now!" she demanded huskily.   
  
Frank swallowed hard and starting to slowly remove the belt that he just finished unfastening. She still was aiming the gun directly at him, but he noticed, as much as he could in the dark room, that her eyes were wondering hungrily over his body. The helplessness of the situation partnered with the lustful glances that she was throwing his way were exciting him beyond belief. He couldn't remember a time when he had been so quickly aroused by any other woman or any other situation.   
  
After finishing with the belt, he slowly began to unbutton the top of his slacks. Her eyes were riveted to that very spot. As he began lowering the zipper, he saw her tongue dart out to quickly lick her lips. The gesture nearly made him groan out loud. ** I don't think I'm going to survive this! ** His heart was nearly pounding in his chest and his breath was coming in quick gasps. After making quick work of the zipper, he slowly lowered the pants to the ground and stepped out of them. His one remaining piece of clothing was doing little to hide the evidence of his very apparent arousal. But before he could continue any further, she slowly unfolded herself from the bed and approached him like a panther stalking her prey.   
  
She circled him slowly, still steadily clutching the gun that never swayed from him. As she reached the back of him, she reached out her free hand and lightly scraped her fingernails across his back. The maneuver nearly sent him over the edge. It took every bit of will that he possessed not to turn around and take her where she stood. And as she passed once again in front of him, she uttered just one word.  
  
"Continue."  
  
He took another shaky breath and brought his hands to the waistband of his boxers and devastatingly slowly peeled them from his now extremely rigid body. After he stepped out of them, he looked up to watch her leisurely examine his now completely naked body. Her eyes drank in every blessed inch of him, and through it all, he tried desperately to control his overwhelming desire.  
  
She finally looked into his eyes, and motioned for him to approach the bed. He did as he was instructed and laid down on it without being instructed to do so. She remained where she stood for a moment longer and then gradually climbed onto the bed with him. He tentatively began to reach for her, but she immediately backed away and pointed the gun at him once more. Her intent was extremely clear. He was completely at her mercy and his body reacted instantaneously by tightening even more than he thought possible. He nearly growled in frustration.   
  
When she was satisfied that he would stay put, she gingerly drew near him. She ran a hand leisurely up the inside of his leg, but stopped just shy of what Frank had hoped would be her destination. This time he did audibly groan and she smiled slightly at the tell-tale sign of his growing exasperation. Her hand then came to rest on his lower abdomen and he stilled completely. She couldn't even tell if he was breathing. She slowly stroked his skin in lazy circles. This seemed to have some sort of calming effect on him, and she definitely did not want him to calm down. So just as his eyes appeared to be closing, she softly took her finger and began to trace the slight line of hair that ran from his belly button southward. His eyes flew open immediately and she could swear she saw those same eyes, not 2 seconds later, nearly roll back in his head when she reached the curly hair around his proudly jutting manhood. It was at this moment that she noticed not only the death grip that he seemed to have on the sheets, but also, the way the tendons on his neck appeared to be so pronounced. ** The poor thing's frantically fighting for control! ** she amusedly thought.   
  
While his eyes remained tightly shut, she surprised him even further by quickly straddling him. The movement caught him totally off guard, and he nearly jumped off of the bed. There were two things he noticed immediately after reopening his eyes. The first was that when she bent down, he could see down the front of the t-shirt she had chosen to sleep in. And second, somewhere along the line, she had put the gun down. He couldn't see where it was. For all he knew, it could be directly next to them on the bed. The real question was, did he care? After about a millisecond of reflection, he knew the answer was a resounding NO!   
  
She gradually inched her way up his body until they were face to face. She lowered her head like she was about to kiss him, but stopped not a hair's breadth away. They could feel their breath fanning the other's face. She made not a move to get closer, nor did she make an effort to pull away, and stayed like that for a second longer before finally speaking in a barely audible whisper.  
  
"Close your eyes."  
  
He stared into her eyes and tried to imagine what she could possibly have in store for him now. He warred with himself about whether to obey and then slowly shut his eyes, deciding to give in to her every whim. He felt her reach for his hands one by one as she brought them to rest on the pillow above his head. It was then that she finally lowered her head and captured his lips in a mind numbing kiss. Her tongue expertly plundered his mouth and explored every inch. The invasion was unexpected and momentarily caught him off guard. But soon he was responding with a passion to match her own. He wanted desperately to take control of the situation and as he went to move his hands he felt her hands press against his forearms, effectively pinning them into place. He felt her move above him and heard a sound that he couldn't quite place, but at the moment he couldn't have cared less, for he was almost literally drowning in the sensations that she invoked.   
  
There was something about that sound though, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that it was important. But at this second, his mind was most DEFINITELY not the one in control. And as his body continued to react to her every move, to her taste, to the gentle pressure that her body straddled across him induced, suddenly his poor befuddled brain finally registered what the sound was. But it was a fraction of a second too late. He felt the cold steel quickly wrap around his wrists.  
  
"Son of a bitch!!" he yelled as he frantically tried to pry his hands away from the headboard. She had handcuffed him to the slats of the bed frame. ** That's why she got up from the bed before and walked around you! Idiot!! She picked up the cuffs that you placed on top of the dresser. **  
  
She leaned back from him momentarily, although she still sat with her legs on either side of him, and grinned mischievously at him. He suddenly was not amused.  
  
"Take these off now!" he growled at her through clenched teeth.   
  
"Take off what?" she answered playfully.   
  
"You know damned well what! Take them off!"   
  
"Ahhhh………..you mean I should take off the rest of MY clothes?" she questioned, trying to plaster an innocent look on her face.  
  
Frank closed his eyes and tried to regain some semblance of his composure. When he opened them again, he hoped that this time, he could calmly persuade her to release him.  
  
"Katie………please remove the handcuffs."  
  
"Ohhh……..the handcuffs," she answered in a tone of voice that made it sound like she had just figured out a difficult puzzle. She looked at him pensively as if truly considering his request and then added, "No………I don't think so."  
  
"Katie!" he nearly bellowed again.  
  
"Answer one question for me, Frank Donovan. Do you REALLY want me to release you?" she asked in her most seductive voice. A voice dripping with the promise of sexual and sensual pleasure beyond compare.  
  
Frank had started to open his mouth to answer, but quickly found no words to respond to her question. When she initially slapped the cuffs on his wrists, he saw the playful twinkle in her eye and thought that the seduction game she had been playing was nothing but a prelude to a very elaborate practical joke. But now……..her words were saturated with heated desire and his body was quickly reacting to the promise of the exquisite torture she had in store for him. ** Jesus! She can get me hotter quicker than any woman I've ever been with in my life! **  
  
"Let me spell it out for you," she started. "You're a man who's always in control. In your job. In your personal life. Everywhere you go. Perfect control." As she spoke, she began to gently caress his bare chest and absently ran her fingertips across his nipples eliciting a quick intake of breath.   
  
"What would it feel like, to have absolutely……"   
  
She lowered her head and ran her soft tongue over the same nipple that she had been teasing just a second before, and in response, he couldn't contain the groan that escaped his lips.  
  
"…………no control………."  
  
She continued to tease him with her tongue and lips as she slowly worked her way up to the hollow of his neck. His breath was now rapid and shallow and he could feel his blood rushing thunderously in his ears.  
  
"………..over anything………."  
  
As she nipped and licked his neck and shoulder, Frank was rapidly loosing control, and he wasn't sure how much more of this he could stand.  
  
"………….that's happening to your body."  
  
The last words were spoken as soft as a breathless whisper in the shell of his ear just a fraction of a second before her lips and teeth captured a luscious earlobe.   
  
"Katie………please," was all he could manage to mutter with a shaking breath.  
  
She raised her head barely to look at him and brushed her lips teasingly against his own, only pulling back when he actually made a move to taste her lips.  
  
"Please what, Frank? Tell me what you want," she asked in a soft voice. As she asked the question, she captured his face with her hands. She gazed intently into his eyes and then kissed him again, but not with the same passionate ferocity that she had used before. No, this time her kiss promised all the sensual delight that he could ever imagine. Her moist lips were soft and moved easily over his own. Her tongue caressed his lips as her teeth nipped at the corners of his mouth. With this simple kiss, he gave himself over to her. He was totally and hopelessly drowning in her, body and soul.  
  
She again raised herself to look down at him and once more she asked, "What do want, Frank? You have to tell me what you REALLY want."  
  
Frank was inundated with the sight, the taste, the smell and the feel of her. And he felt like he was drowning and he didn't want to be saved. Not now. Not ever.  
  
He gazed into her eyes for what seemed like forever and finally said, "I want you."  
  
She seemed almost startled by his answer. She had expected for him to either demand again that he be released (which she would have done), or to ask to have the torture stop and bring about yet another type of release (which she also would have gladly done). What she hadn't expected was the intensity of the emotion that she could clearly see in his eyes even in the dim moonlight filtering through the window.  
  
She considered what he had said for a moment longer and then sat up enough to reach over to the bedside table. She picked up the key and reached up to free his hands from the headboard.   
  
He lowered his hands and glided them lightly up her arms before finally bringing them up to frame her face. His thumbs gently caressed her cheeks and all the while, he never broke eye contact with her. She shivered slightly at his touch and hadn't considered until that moment how much she had missed the feel of his hands on her. She truly believed that her body craved his touch as much as it needed to breath.   
  
"Tell me what you want. You have to tell me what YOU really want," he questioned softly.  
  
At that moment, she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted this man in her life. Now and forever. A future without him was unthinkable to her. **How did I ever survive alone without having him in my life? ** Every other remnant of her existence was either gone or in shambles. He was the one thing that she could cling to. The only thing she needed to remain alive.  
  
"I want you to make love to me," she finally answered with a slight hitch in her voice, suddenly overcome with emotion.  
  
He smiled softly and said, "My pleasure."  
  
And with that he rolled her over so that she was pinned underneath him. He kissed her long and deep and took possession of her body as he took possession of her soul.  
  
  
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	14. Chapter Fourteen

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
  
  
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Back from another little break. Things have been crazy at work, leaving me precious little time to do the fun things.   
  
Please, please, please hang in there with me!!!!!!! And special thanks again to those that read and review. It really means a lot to me!!!  
  
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Thursday morning -- 11:05AM -- A suburban park outside of Chicago  
  
  
Frank parked his car near a deserted ball field and began to walk further into the neighborhood park. He had been methodical about making sure that he had not been followed, going many miles out of his way in order to lose anyone who might have been fortunate enough to pick up on his whereabouts. His eyes swept the area constantly, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He knew that this particular park was almost always empty at this time of day. Kids were in school and mothers with their young ones were out and about doing errands. A perfect place for a covert meeting.  
  
He approached a large fountain situated in the middle of the park. Park benches which framed the area were all abandoned save one. A man wearing sunglasses and reading a newspaper sat on one of the benches and was facing away from Frank. He approached the man stealthily and only spoke when he was within 2 feet of his position.  
  
"You're going to get yourself killed one of these days doing that," Frank stated drolly.  
  
The man finally turned and smiled up at him and replied, "Hardly. First of all………you couldn't sneak up on my 92 year old grandmother who's hard of hearing making as much noise as you just did. And secondly……….I smelled that God awful shit you choose to call cologne about a half mile away."  
  
Frank glared at the man for as long as he could but finally couldn't hold back the grin that he had so desperately been trying to hide.  
  
"How the hell have you been Tom?" Frank offered as he held out his hand to the blond haired man.   
  
"I can't complain much. Wouldn't help me even if I could." The two shook hands and gave each other a slap on the arm. The male equivalent of a hug. Frank eased himself down on the seat next to the other agent and after a few pleasantries were traded back and forth, he decided that it was time to get down to business.  
  
"So," Frank began, "I guess we've avoided the real reason for this meeting long enough. What do you have for me?"  
  
Tom winced at the question and Frank immediately realized that whatever he had to tell him, it wasn't likely to be good. Not that he figured it would be. He already felt like he was up to his eyeballs in it, might as well make it six feet under. Tom looked off into the distance for a few seconds before turning back to Frank.   
  
"Frankie………." Tom started and then sighed heavily. "What I have for you is totally off the record. And I mean that! I'm not shittin' you here! You mention one word of this conversation to anyone and I'll be the one hunting you down. Got it??"  
  
"Tom……..if you think I don't realize how far out on a limb you're going here for me, you're dead wrong. If half of what I expect is true, I know that the chances of me coming out of this in one piece are pretty slim. It may have been awhile since I've crossed paths with any of these men, but I know enough not to fuck with them."  
  
"So why are you?" Tom asked directly. He took his sunglasses off so that he could see Frank clearly in the harsh bright light of day. He desperately needed to know the answer to this question, and he also knew that Frank had never been able to lie to him.   
  
It was Frank's turn to sigh, but this time from fatigue and uncertainty. He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. Looking out across the fountain he watched a squirrel chasing a bird for a few seconds before answering him.  
  
"I believe her."   
  
The answer was simple and direct, and it spoke volumes about what was going through Frank's mind. Believing her meant that he trusted her. And Frank Donovan trusted damn few people.   
  
Tom stared at him for a few moments, scrutinizing his old friend, looking for the tell tale signs that Frank was trying to slip one past him. He detected no such insincerity. After mulling over the situation and all its implications one more time, Tom finally nodded his head and relented.  
  
"Alright," he began, "besides being totally off the record, what I have to tell you is based on a whole lotta conjecture and speculation." Frank simply nodded in response.  
  
"I've been hearing bits and pieces of a certain story over the past year or two. And I do mean bits and pieces. At first what I heard didn't even make sense. It wasn't until almost a month or two ago, that things started to puzzle piece together." Suddenly feeling fidgety, Tom stood and started to pace slowly back and forth.   
  
Frank watched the other man for a few seconds before it dawned on him that he'd never seen his friend this nervous before. The thought that whatever he had to tell him had put him in this state was chilling to say the least. As implausible as it would have seemed to him, Frank felt his own nervousness ramp up almost exponentially.   
  
"Tom?"   
  
"I'm getting there, Frank. I'm getting there." After walking back and forth a few more times, Tom finally returned to his spot on the park bench.  
  
"Like I said, what I heard at first were little things that I'm sure 99.9% of the people around ignored. When the periodic inconsistencies started to pile up, that's when I started to take notice." He stopped at that point so that he could turn in his seat to look directly at Frank.  
  
"You wanna know my first thoughts on the subject?"   
  
"Do I have a choice?" Frank answered bitterly.  
  
Tom gave a dry chuckle in reply and added, "We all have choices Frank. Right now, the way I see it, you have 4 options. The first, you turn her in." Before Frank could interject, he continued. "Second, you disappear. With or without her. Third choice, you back away and let someone else do the dirty work. Or fourth………you listen to what I have to say and react accordingly." He let those words sink in for a few seconds and then asked, "So………do I continue my story?"  
  
Frank looked him dead in the eyes and asked once again, "Do I have a choice?"  
  
Tom shook his head before continuing, knowing that this would be Frank's answer. He wouldn't run. He wouldn't turn his back on what he believed to be his duty and he would never betray someone he trusted.   
  
"Iran Contra," was all Tom said at first, and then added after several seconds had passed, "…………that's what this stinking mess reminds me of."  
  
Frank's eyes widened slightly. The implications were overwhelming and stunningly clear. High ranking government officials operating with little or no supervision or approval and doing so outside the restraints of the law.  
  
"Who's involved?" he finally asked.  
  
"That's the tricky part. These guys are very good at covering their tracks and whatever I've been able to dig up is hardly concrete."  
  
"Ok, disclaimers aside, who are we talking about here?"  
  
"Nathaniel Bowden. Probably his assistant, Jack Crawford. Hell…….Nate doesn't even wipe his own ass after taking a shit without Crawford there to hand him the toilet paper. So I can't imagine him doing this without him. As for the rest………..pure speculation on my part. Probably…………Steven Collins. Maybe Mike Becker."  
  
Frank listened to the names, and as he added to the list, his anxiety over what they were up against ratcheted to the next level. It was now Frank's turn to pace.  
  
"Ok………..what you're telling me is that the #2 man in the CIA is running some……….what?……..illegal operation of some sort? Possibly aided by a member of the National Security Council and a director of the FBI?"   
  
Tom looked at the pacing man and answered, "Yep……….that pretty much sums it up."  
  
"OK, next question. What are they up to?"  
  
Tom glanced around the area once more, seemingly hesitating before replying or checking to make sure that they were in fact still alone. When Frank had asked to meet him at this particular park, he had questioned the intent. Now he realized that it was the perfect place. The line of trees surrounding the fountain began some 100 yards away making it nearly impossible for someone to sneak up on the two undetected. And the sound from the fountain itself would render any listening devices almost useless.   
  
He sighed once more and finally replied to Frank's question. "From what I can surmise, this whole operation started some 10 to 12 years ago, maybe even further back than that. They say that it all started when a certain member of the White House staff set up a meeting with a certain member of the Company and asked what it would take to eliminate a certain South American dictator. Off the record and totally hush-hush, you understand. The political situation anywhere south of the US border was anything but stable at the time. You never knew who was in power or how long they were liable to hold that position. Our government was constantly analyzing who to back and who to condemn. Just because a certain leader was popular this week, didn't mean that they would still be in favor the next."  
  
"Anyway……….seems the government put all their support behind this particular leader and lo and behold, his popularity grew exponentially and he no longer felt the need to rely on American backing or influence. We had helped create him and the son-of-a-bitch had the nerve to turn his back on the US, point blank," Tom chuckled dryly before continuing, "Big mistake. Of course the debates raged on in Congress about how best to deal with the situation. Accusations flew left and right about who had had a hand in establishing the circumstances which led to the man's rise to power, etc, etc. Basically the government was spinning wheels and getting nowhere. The White House, of course, had it's hands tied. Nothing could be done without congressional approval. So quietly and secretively, alternative methods were discussed and considered. The situation was embarrassing to the then current administration and they needed the state of affairs to be dealt with quickly and succinctly."   
  
Tom shifted in his seat briefly and then continued the story, "After a plan was formulated on how to best deal with the circumstances, the next problem was funding. You can't just send a team of Marines into a South American jungle without supplying them, transporting them, etc. Even small tactical incursions like this one could end up being very costly. Now, what surprised even the most cynical, was how easily funds intended for other allocations could be siphoned off and redirected. Ten thousand from here, ten thousand from there, and soon they had themselves a fully functional and fully funded strategical strike force."  
  
"The hit went off without a hitch. Coverage of the leader's untimely death was carried in major metropolitan newspapers around the globe and no one had a clue as to who was behind it. Slicker than snot. Of course all who had been involved swore to never speak of the mission ever again. Even amongst themselves. But their appetite had been whet. They had seen how easily and how effectively things could get done when they circumvented the regular order of things."  
  
"A few years later, of course, another situation arose that needed attention. The type of attention that you couldn't go through regular channels to mend. Those still around remembered how easily things had gone the first time and went about making it happen again. And so it went. What was supposed to be a one time deal, soon became almost commonplace."  
  
Frank shook his head in disgust. The thought that a very small group of men had decided to play God made him feel ill. He wasn't naïve. He knew the ways of the world and knew also that some of those ways needed to be dealt with quickly and sometimes cruelly. And he wondered, not for the first time, at what point had the US government decided that they had the right or the authority to police the rest of the world.   
  
He shook his head to help clear his mind and finally asked Tom, "So how did this group go from toppling dictatorships to putting out hits on US Senators?"  
  
"Frankie…….Frankie……..Frankie!" Tom began, laughing mildly, "you can't really be that green, can you? I mean, come on! There's just a few heartbeats difference between the two, wouldn't ya say?" Tom waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I know, I'm exaggerating. Don't get your drawers in a bunch! But seriously, it's a power rush. Plain and simple. They hold the fate of the world, or at least their little part of it, in the palms of their hands. It's gotta be intoxicating……….and addicting.  
They see a problem, and they deal with it swiftly. Period."  
  
"You sound like you almost admire them," Frank stated apprehensively.  
  
"Maybe in some ways I do. OK, let me continue before you give me that quirky eyebrow look you get when you don't like what I'm saying. All I mean is………you have to admit that there have been times when we've both run into situations where we were fed up with the government red tape. Let's get in and get the job done without having to wait until the situation is debated in fifteen government sub-committees ad nauseum. Am I right? Of course I am. What differentiates us from this group is that we follow orders. We may not like the orders, but at least we follow them." Tom stopped his dissertation, to glance at Frank intently, before continuing. "At least until recently, you always followed orders."  
  
Frank stared back at his friend knowing that he could never adequately explain his actions of the past week. And honestly, he didn't feel he really owed anyone an accounting of his reasons, but this man was putting himself on the line for him, and he knew it. He just wasn't sure about where to begin.  
  
"Tom…….."  
  
"I'm really trying to understand here, Frank. I know that you want to believe this woman, but are you really willing to put everything on the line for her? And I do mean everything!"  
  
"Tom…….she's not a contract killer, at least not for anyone but our own government. I'm positive about that. She knows too much about Company operations and contacts for me to believe otherwise."  
  
"You may be right, Frank. But let me just set up a little scenario for you. Let's just say that she either works or has worked for the Company. They trained her to be a ghost and she turned out to be very good at it. Again, hypothetically, let's say, it becomes easy for her. Maybe too easy. Soon she takes it upon herself to go after targets without direct authority. She sees a problem. She eliminates the problem. But one day, she runs up against a target that she has trouble getting at. She ruffles a few feathers at headquarters and they realize that they've got a rogue agent on their hands, a very dangerous rogue agent at that. Sure they could just issue an APB for her arrest, but then they realize that simply having her arrested will pose too many questions. What if she's hauled in and starts yapping about past cases or current targets. So they make up a story so that if anyone catches up to her, her captors won't believe a word that she says. But of course, there's a fly in the ointment. Along comes a former CIA agent who not only falls for her charms but also falls for her story. Now she sees a way out. She'll lead this agent to believe that she's the one that's been wronged and she'll get him to help her get out of the mess that she's created and then she can finally accomplish the task that she set out for."  
  
Frank frowned deeply at the man sitting next to him. He had basically called him a gullible fool. "What the hell is this all about, Tom? First you fill me in on what could basically be called a major governmental cover-up and now you're throwing accusations around about how Kate's been acting alone without orders. Which is it?"  
  
"OK, let's cool down here a bit…………..what I told you about originally is all true to the best of my knowledge. The problem we have here is that I can't corroborate her story about any orders being given to take out a US Senator. And the bottom line is Frank, I can't confirm any part of her story. Katherine Dawson has been completely wiped from any sort of government data base files. The only thing that remains is what you have in the file that they handed you at the beginning of this case."  
  
"I can't tell you what to do here Frank. I wish I had more concrete evidence. Do I believe that Nate Bowden and the rest are operating above the law? Yes. Do I think that they've gone over the deep end and started targeting US officials? I just don't know. Again, my question to you is………..are you really willing to risk everything for this woman? Your job? Your reputation? Your future? And maybe even your life?"  
  
Frank stared at the man intently and let the import of his words wash over him before finally answering. "Tom, all through my professional career, I've always depended on instinct to pull me through. And right now…………..all my instincts are telling me that Kate's telling the truth. I can't offer you any sort of proof. Just my feelings."  
  
"And that's my point, my friend, maybe this time, you're letting your feelings cloud the facts, keeping you from seeing the girl for what she really is."  
  
Frank didn't answer. He simply stared off into the distance knowing that they could debate the point until both were blue in the face. He knew that he was right, and nothing that Tom could say would make him see things any differently.  
  
Tom in return gazed at his friend and saw the steely determination in Frank's face. A look that he knew all too well. A look that said, 'I know I'm right, so just shut up about it'. He smiled sadly and finally relented.  
  
"You're probably right about her, Frankie. I mean I haven't even met her, so I can't judge. All I'm saying is, be careful."  
  
"I always am." At that, both men smiled briefly.  
  
"So……..is that all the info you have for me?"  
  
Tom chuckled. "Isn't that enough?"  
  
"I suppose it'll have to do," Frank smiled in reply. With that both men rose from the park bench and slowly proceeded to walk from the area.  
  
"So………….where are you off to now?" Frank inquired.  
  
"That's what I'm about to find out. When I'm done here, I have to call in to see where they're sending me next. Hopefully wherever it is, it'll be near a beach, some palm trees and a pitcher of marguerites. I sincerely doubt it……….but a man can hope, right?"  
  
"Well, wherever it is, good luck and be safe."  
  
"I always am, Frankie. I always am." But then Tom stopped walking and the humorous look on his face quickly faded. "There is one more thing I think you should know."  
  
"What's that?" Frank asked, suddenly concerned.  
  
"There've been numerous discussions and meetings about this case recently. One notable one took place just 24 hours ago. It seems that some of the higher ups had received information concerning your handling of this case."  
  
"And……..?"  
  
"And……..Jake Shaw was at that meeting."  
  
Frank scowled at the other man. "You could have mentioned that earlier."  
  
"Yeah……..I could have, but why drop all of the bombs at once, right?"  
  
"Yeah, right." Frank looked at Tom for a few seconds longer and then resumed his walk in the opposite direction from where the other man was headed.  
  
"Take it easy Tom," Frank threw over his shoulder as he continued toward his car.  
  
After entering his car a few minutes later, Frank paused to briefly consider everything that Tom had told him. He was still convinced that Kate was telling him the truth and the story that his friend told him had just deepened his resolve, the only thing that truly bothered him was Jake's involvement in all of this. Knowing that he now had precious little time to set a plan in motion, he quickly started his car and headed away from the park and turned in the direction of the Nest.  
  
  
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Tom reached his own car a few moments later, and just as he did, his cell phone went off.  
  
"Hello."   
  
"So how did it go?" a voice on the other end of the line asked.  
  
"How do you think it went? I gave him the information just like you asked me to." As he spoke he reached his hand under his shirt and pulled out the microphone and wires that had been taped to his chest.  
  
"And besides……..you heard every god damned word anyway! So why are you asking me how it went?"  
  
"Easy now……." the other man said soothingly, "no need to get all uptight. You're doing the right thing and you know it. Frank Donovan has crossed the line and we both know that this needs to be done and quickly." As the other man talked, Tom looked away with a grimace of disgust on his face.   
  
"So when can I get out of here? Where am I headed now?" Tom asked quickly.  
  
"Patience, my friend. What's the rush? I here Chicago's lovely in the fall. Why don't you stay there to enjoy it and who knows……we might have need of your services in the not too distant future right in that immediate area."  
  
Tom paused for a few seconds in order to let the last statement sink in fully, then he closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. There were times when he really hated his job.  
  
"I think that it would be better if I came back to Washington."  
  
"Well you see, that's the problem now, isn't it? You're not paid to think, you're paid to follow orders. Check into a nice hotel downtown and await you're next command. Got it?" And with that the phone was disconnected.   
  
He threw the phone into his rental car and was about to get in when he spotted Frank's Saab rounding the corner.   
  
Frank pulled up next to Tom's car and rolled down the window.  
  
"So did you find out your next assignment?"   
  
Tom stared at his old friend for a few seconds and finally answered. "I sure did. Honduras. I'm heading for Honduras." He smiled briefly, waved and quickly jumped in the car and pulled away.  
  
  
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	15. Chapter Fifteen

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
  
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Thanks again for the reviews!!! After this chapter, things will finally start falling into place. Hang in there!!  
  
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It was almost 1:00PM before Frank arrived at the Nest. He parked his car, shut off the engine and again paused to review the events of the day. In some ways, things were moving more quickly than he had anticipated. On the other hand, he yearned for this particular case to be over and done with. And in that aspect, things weren't going nearly quickly enough.  
  
He thought through everything that Tom had told him and the conclusions were chilling. Extra precautions needed to be implemented immediately. With that theory, he rummaged through his car looking for a pen and for something to write on.  
  
Inside the warehouse, the other three were busily compiling the facts that they had separately been able to accumulate. Alex and Monica were at the table comparing notes and Cody, of course, was busily typing away at his computer terminal. He glanced up briefly when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"Donovan's here," Cody announced having seen Frank pull his car into the lot via their outside security cameras.  
  
When a few minutes passed and Frank still had not entered the building, Cody once again looked toward the monitors showing views of the outside. He could clearly see Frank's car and he could see Frank sitting in it.  
  
"What's he doing?" the tech-op asked more to himself than anyone else, but the other two heard his question anyway. Alex and Monica both got up and approached the computer screen. The three frowned in confusion when none of them could ascertain what their boss seemed to be up to. A few seconds later, Frank exited the vehicle and headed toward the building.  
  
After he entered, Alex was the first to speak. "How'd it go?" Referring to the top secret meeting that he had told them briefly about before leaving late last night.  
  
"About as I'd expected," Frank quickly answered and as he did so, he handed Alex a piece of paper and made a motion for her to read it but not to say anything out loud about it.  
  
This immediately caught the attention of the other two agents and soon they were crowded around Alex trying to read over her shoulders. As each finished reading, their eyes registered what they dared not say.  
  
Before leaving his car, Frank had quickly written down his suspicions:  
"Our operation is no longer secretive.  
Assume that the warehouse has been bugged.  
Carry on with conversation as normal.  
Just don't mention that anyone knows where Kate is."  
  
Frank looked at each of his agents gauging their reactions. Disbelief, shock, fear and a tinge of anger. Seeing the emotions play across their faces, he knew exactly how they felt, but could nothing to waylay their fears or concerns.  
  
"So, let's get down to business," Frank commanded. "What do we have on Senator Michaelson?"  
  
The other three agents looked at Frank and tried to convey their apprehension without actually saying anything. Frank for his part was trying to assume a leisurely and casual attitude. He motioned with his hands that it was alright to speak about the topic at hand. Monica was the first to begin her dissertation.   
  
"John G. Michaelson. Born in 1952, he was the only child of Martha and Robert Michaelson, two schoolteachers from St. Louis. Shortly after John was born the family moved east and settled near Providence, Rhode Island."   
  
While Monica started her profile, Cody scribbled a note for Frank on a piece of paper and handed it to him. It simply said,   
"Bugs? And if so………jammers??"  
He wanted to know that if the warehouse was indeed bugged, did Frank want him to jam the signal with some of his equipment.  
  
Frank read the note and wrote down his reply in turn.  
"No…..if we jam the signal then they'll know  
that we're on to them."  
  
Cody read his boss' reply and wrote down another question.  
"Should I sweep the area?"   
  
Frank paused to consider and then nodded in response. If they couldn't jam the signal, at least it might be helpful to at least know if and where the bugs were.  
  
Cody left the area briefly and returned carrying a device in his hands about the size of a large walkie talkie. He began a very careful and thorough search starting with the area around the conference table and proceeding outwardly from there.  
  
While all of this was going on, Monica and Alex both looked on with interest, but continued with the briefing without skipping a beat.   
  
Monica continued with the profile. "After graduating first in his class from high school, John went on to attend Brown University where he majored in, of course, political science and economics. He received his degree in 3 ½ years instead of the usual 4 or more. He then moved on to Harvard where he received his Masters 2 years later. He chose to stay in Massachusetts after leaving Harvard and quickly made a name for himself in political circles."  
  
"He became a key player in the Massachusetts Democratic party and soon was heading up the campaign for the party's candidate for governor, and the campaign was a monumental success due in large part to John's efforts. He then worked for a short time in the governor's office after the election, but quickly decided that he should run for some type of office himself."  
  
"So he made a play for Boston city council in 1979, and was easily elected. Then in 1984, he decided it was time to run for mayor and was elected by a landslide garnering nearly 80% of the votes. A short 4 years later he resolved to run for governor and again won easily. So at the young age of 36 he was sworn in. It wasn't until the early 90's that his thoughts turned to Washington. Alex?"  
  
Alex then nodded and picked up where Monica had left off. "Right……..he ran for the Senate in 1992 and just narrowly defeated a very popular incumbent. It was a tough campaign and some say that he ended up making a few deals with the devil in order to win the election. The feeling was that he hadn't put enough time in down in the trenches, so to speak, to warrant the senate seat. So he ended up associating himself with a few union officials and large industry lobbyists."  
  
"Up until this point, he had pretty much skated by on his charm and personality, and now that he was in the big leagues, he found out that he would have to dig a little deeper and maybe even get his hands dirty."  
  
"Word has it that for quite a while he could easily be counted on to vote this way or that depending on the influence of those that had basically helped to get him elected. But then rumors started circulating that he might have his eye on the White House, and if so, some of his so-called 'associations' would not be received well by the general voting public. It was then that he started ruffling a few feathers by trying to distance himself from the very people that for all intents and purposes bought his election to the Senate."  
  
Frank had been listening intently to the profile that had been laid out by his agents, and had just one question. "So what powerful players has he turned his back on?"  
  
Alex looked down at the notes in front of her and then raised her eyes to look at her boss. "Mostly, technology and union people. In the tech field, we're talking more bio-tech than anything. Legislation is still up in the air with this new field of study and having a senator who would vote in their favor and influence others to follow suit was helpful. Union, of course is……..well union. The history between politics and unions is nothing new."  
  
"Do we have any names?" Frank asked.  
  
"Not really. A few conjectures but nothing concrete at the moment."  
  
"That seems to be the prevailing answer nowadays," Frank mumbled almost inaudibly.  
  
"Alright. Anything else?" he asked.   
  
"Cody has a run down on Michaelson's financial statements," Monica answered, but seeing that the tech-op was not in the immediate vicinity, she added, "but from what I could see, he didn't turn up anything significant. I believe he was going to go through political contributions next. After he's done that, we may be able to get you that list of supporters."  
  
"Good. Anything else we need to cover at the moment?"  
  
"Nope," Alex answered and then added, "I just need to return a few phone calls from some of my Washington contacts and then I'll fill you in on any new info that they might give me."  
  
"Alright. Good work." He then turned to leave the area and went in search of his young tech-op. He soon found him wandering around the second level of the building.  
  
He could see that Cody was intently watching the device that he held out in front of him. He noticed that he was also holding a piece of paper that appeared to already have some sort of writing on it. Frank approached him as quietly as he could so as not to disturb the younger man. Cody caught his movements though and signaled to Frank that he had something to show him. He handed Frank the piece of paper. On it, he had written that he had indeed been able to find several bugs hidden throughout the warehouse and he listed their approximate locations. 2 were in Frank's office. 3, possibly 4 were hidden around the conference table area. Another 2 or 3 near the computer workstations and still another 3 or 4 scattered around the kitchen and gym areas.   
  
Frank sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes in weariness. Somehow he had hoped that he was wrong. The implications were devastating. Someone had easily gained access to the building overnight. Which meant that they were probably FBI or CIA and it also meant that they had the place already under surveillance as well. And if the building was being watched that meant that he and his team would be watched too.  
  
Frank then took the pen and paper and wrote some instructions down for Cody.  
"Can you dismantle, or render inoperative at least a few of the bugs  
without raising too many suspicions?"  
  
Cody read the note and smiled. He held up his hand and signaled to Frank that he'd be right back. He then quickly headed down the stairs and returned to the second level carrying a glass of water. Frank narrowed his eyes but, of course, didn't say a word. He followed the younger man into his office.  
  
Frank watched as Cody carefully set the glass on his desk and then returned to scanning the room. He noticed that it was a slightly different device that Cody was wielding around this time. After a few moments, Cody was able to pinpoint the exact location of the two bugs. Both were on the underside of Frank's desk. Cody smiled once more and then began to speak.  
  
"So boss……..do you want to go over those financial statements now, or do you want to wait until later?" As he spoke, he again approached the desk and started clearing just about everything off the top. Frank looked at the younger agent with intense curiosity, but finally figured out his plan we he saw him once again pick up the glass of water.  
  
"Oh………and I figured that if you're going to shutter yourself up in your office all day again, you might need a really strong cup of coffee. Here you go…………oh shit!!!!" And with that Cody spilled the contents of the glass onto the desk making sure to distribute the liquid evenly so that it would run over the edges. Frank watched in amusement as Cody got down on his hands and knees in order to watch the water's progress. He seemed pleased with the result. Cody reached for the device that he had been using earlier and after several seconds of scanning, he finally stood up and smiled at his boss.  
  
"Bugs and water………..just don't mix, gosh darn it."  
  
"You're sure that they're now inoperable?" Frank asked in a near whisper.  
  
"Trust me boss. One thing I know a lot about is gadgets and gizmos." Cody then reached under the desk and removed the devices. Frank stared at them blankly.   
  
"Can you tell by the type or make of the bugs who might have planted them?"  
  
Cody sighed and nodded, "They're one of ours. I mean that they're the type used by government agencies." Frank nodded at the response.  
  
"Do you want me to try to disable any of the others?"  
  
"And how would you do that? By going around spilling coffee everywhere?" Frank asked amusedly.   
  
Cody smiled sheepishly, "I guess even I couldn't be that clumsy."  
  
"No……….we'll leave the others in place for now. Just remember that any important conversations are to be held in this room only."  
  
"Right………I'll let the others know…………in writing of course." And with that, Cody left the office to return to the main level.  
  
A short time later, Alex came up the stairs and knocked on the doorframe to Frank's office. "Got a minute?"  
  
"Sure Alex. Come on in…………..what can I do for you?"  
  
Alex looked around a little hesitantly and gave Frank a concerned look.  
  
He knew why she was hesitating and tried to ease her mind. "It's OK, Cody has thoroughly swept the area. At least this room is free from bugs."  
  
She nodded relieved and then seemed to be searching for the right words to begin the conversation. Frank watched her intently and began to formulate a guess as to why she wanted to speak to him. Jake.  
  
"Alex? What is it?"  
  
She sighed heavily and began to pace back and forth in front of his desk. "I'm not sure how to bring this up, or even if I should." She glanced at her boss and saw the concern on his face and decided to press on.  
  
"It's………….Jake."  
  
"What about him?" he asked innocently.  
  
"I………I haven't been able to get in touch with him. I drove by his place last night and the night before and he wasn't there either time. I have this sinking feeling that he may have done something………..drastic."  
  
"Drastic? Like what?" Frank inquired, pretending not to have a clue about the events of the last 2 days.  
  
"I'm not sure really. He may have just taken off. You know, hit the road and drove till he got tired, but I don't think that's what happened." Frank continued to stare at her and this time didn't respond, so she continued. "I'm afraid he may have………..called somebody about what's going on." And with that she sat down in one of the chairs facing Frank's desk, obviously relieved to have gotten her confession over with.  
  
Frank leaned back in his chair and ran his hand across his chin contemplating what she had said. How much could he tell her? How badly would the truth upset her relationship with her partner.  
  
"I had a feeling that when we hadn't heard from Jake within 24 hours that that may have been the course he'd decided to take."  
  
Alex looked slightly shocked at his admission but then quickly realized that her boss had to have considered the possibility. Frank Donovan was nothing if not intuitive.  
  
She nodded in understanding and then added, "I just thought that I should say something."  
  
"I'm glad you did. I know this hasn't been easy on you. You and Jake are a team and seeing him cut himself off like that had to have been hard."  
  
"Yeah…..well…….we all have to do what we think is best, right?"  
  
"Absolutely," he replied simply. He saw her continue to hesitate and then asked, "Was there anything else? Have you heard from your DC contacts yet?"  
  
"No to both questions. I'm still waiting on a few calls and I guess I'll let you get back to work." She turned to leave and then paused briefly in the doorway. She looked back at him, gave a quick smile and then left.  
  
Frank wondered about the look on her face before she left, but just chalked it up to the general uneasiness of the entire operation.  
  
  
  
A few hours went by before Frank was interrupted once again by a member of the team. Cody walked into the office carrying what Frank could only describe as a cross between a walkie talkie and a cell phone. He took the item from Cody and raised one eyebrow in lieu of a question.  
  
"This," Cody began, "is the phone scrambler that I promised you. My own design, of course," he stated proudly. "It can run circles around anything else out there."  
  
Frank had asked the young tech-op to come up with a way for him to communicate with Kate so he wouldn't have to worry about traced calls or overheard conversations. He looked over the device and finally asked, "Won't we need two of these?"  
  
"Ahhh………only if you suspect that the other line may have been tapped or monitored. If there's no problem there, then no, you only have to worry about your end of the transmission."  
  
"In that case, you're right. I'll only need one. Thank you Cody."  
  
Cody smiled and said, "No problemo, boss man. Glad to help." And with that he turned to leave the office.  
  
"Can you close the door on your way out, please?"  
  
Cody waved in response and closed the door behind him. He wondered if Donovan was going to get all lovey-dovey on the phone and that was why he needed some privacy. The idea gave him the heebie jeebies, kind of like listening to your mom and dad get all frisky. Ewwww!  
  
  
After Cody left, he used the new phone to call Kate. They had set up a system in case of emergency. He would call and let the phone ring twice. Hang up. Call again, letting it ring once. Hang up. And then call a third time letting it ring until she picked up. As he went through the process, he thought, not for the first time, how great technology could be while at the same time cursing all of the advances that made this type of operation necessary. After the third call, he waited for her to answer.  
  
"Hello?" she responded in a slightly nervous voice.  
  
"It's me. Before you ask. Everything's alright."  
  
"Alright? I thought you said that you wouldn't call me like this unless it was an emergency!" she questioned sounding slightly flustered.  
  
"Kate………..relax. I promise you. Nothing's wrong. I'm just trying out this new gadget that Cody built for me."  
  
"Ahhhh……….the scrambler. I hope he's as talented as he thinks he is."  
  
Frank chuckled lightly and then said, "You and me both."  
  
"So why are you really calling?" she inquired.  
  
"Maybe I just wanted to hear the sound of your voice," he responded in a decidedly sultry tone.  
  
"Hmmmm…………not that sounds promising," she answered in the same husky tenor. "Unfortunately, I'm not buying it Donovan."  
  
He sighed and then decided to fess up. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to come over there tonight."  
  
Kate was quiet on the other end of the line and for a moment he thought that the line had been disconnected.  
  
"Katie?"  
  
"I'm still here," she answered quietly. "Just thinking about what you said." She paused briefly before continuing, "They're following you…….aren't they?"  
  
"Probably. I haven't spotted anyone, but I don't want to risk maybe leading them right to you."  
  
"What makes you think that the surveillance has already begun?"  
  
"Two things. One……..the meeting I had this morning almost guaranteed it. And second……….the warehouse is bugged."  
  
"Bugged?? Are you crazy?? What the hell are you doing calling me then? I'm hanging up right now!"  
  
"Kate!! Wait!! It's alright. Cody was able to get rid of the two here in the office. Anything said in the office is secure. At least for the moment."  
  
"Are absolutely positive?" she asked cautiously.   
  
"Positive. You have to trust me, remember?"  
  
"I do Frank. I do," she answered and then quietly added, "I'm going to miss you tonight." Her tone was sad and lonely and he could picture her sitting alone in the big house hour after hour.  
  
Frank groaned inwardly. "I'm going to miss you too, baby. But I just can't risk it. Besides, I think I'm just going to stay here tonight. Guard the place in case they get any bright ideas about coming back to replace the bugs we took out or even worse trying to place video surveillance."  
  
"Probably a good idea. Be careful?"  
  
"Always. And Katie……….." he paused before continuing, "I promise that this is all going to be over soon."  
  
"I'm counting on that Donovan. I don't think I can too much more of being cooped up in this house all alone."  
  
"Right. I'll try to call you later and if I can't, I'll call in the morning."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I promise. Good night."  
  
"Good night."  
  
He listened to her hang up and wanted nothing more than to jump in his car right now and speed across town to surprise her, but he knew that things were going to start happening and quickly. He needed to be here. And he needed to be prepared.  
  
  
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Thursday night -- 11:35PM   
  
  
Jake walked into the nearly empty bar and surveyed the place. The person that he was supposed to meet wasn't there yet. So he meandered over to the bar, ordered two bottles of beer and then proceeded to an empty table near the back.  
  
As he sipped on his drink, he closed his eyes briefly and thought back over the events of the last couple of days. He'd flown to Washington and had basically given them Donovan and the operation on a silver platter. He winced when he thought about it. He never thought that he'd be able to go through with it, but once there, the questions had been relentless and the information that they had been seeking just flowed out of him. Telling himself that it had to be done, wasn't helping anymore. And now, to make things worse, they wanted his help in actually taking Donovan and the Dawson woman into custody. Not only had he betrayed his boss, but now he'd have to look him in the eye when he figured out who set him up.  
  
Jake lifted the bottle to his lips and downed nearly half the contents at once. *Maybe I can drink myself into oblivion for a while at least.*  
  
As he placed the bottle back on the table he looked up and saw the person that he'd been waiting for enter the bar, he waived and they made their way over to the table.  
  
"Jake."  
  
"Alex. Have a seat. I already got you a drink," he said as he handed her the beer.  
  
"Thanks." She took a big swig and then finally mustered enough courage to ask the question that had been dancing around in her head since he'd called her at home not and hour before.  
  
"So………why am I here?"   
  
Jake sighed, played with the bottle before him nervously and then finally answered.  
  
"I need your help."  
  
  
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	16. Chapter Sixteen

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
  
  
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Many thanks again to all who have read and continue to follow this story and , of course, special thanks to those that have taken the time to review!! It's very, very, very much appreciated!!!!!!!!!  
  
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Saturday morning -- 5:35AM   
  
  
Kate was restless as usual. She felt like she was literally going stir crazy. She couldn't remember the last time she had spent so much time cooped up in one place. She couldn't go outside. She couldn't even open the blinds on the windows. And it was driving her nuts. The only entertainment she had was the television, a stereo and a few cheesy romance novels that lined one of the book shelves in the family room. She'd thumbed through most of the books by now, skipping most of the text looking for the juicy parts.   
  
After the first day or so, she'd taken up pacing throughout the house much like a caged tiger that you'd find in the zoo. The only distraction she had was the occasional pone call from Frank and in some ways that made her current situation worse. Just when she would start to come to terms with her captivity, he would call and she would instantaneously be reminded of everything she was missing. And Frank most definitely topped the list of the things that she missed the most.   
  
He'd called late last night. It was almost 11:45 when the phone had rung waking her out of a fitful sleep. Their conversation had been brief. He'd told her that he expected something big to happen soon. He just wasn't sure what or when. Just soon. She'd listened intently, wanting to hear the sound of his voice more than the words. His voice always managed to soothe and calm her while at the same time stirring something deep inside. After hanging up, she'd stayed awake for at least another hour pondering the state of their affair. Was that all it was, she thought to herself? An affair? A fling? Intense sexual attraction that nearly blinded her to the seriousness of her situation?   
  
As these thoughts ran through her head, she began to focus more on how her and Frank were together, and not just sexually. In that respect, they were extremely compatible. She'd never experienced such all-consuming physical pleasure before she'd met him. 'The man was truly gifted', she thought with a wicked grin. No…….she needed to focus on what the other parts of this relationship were like and if they could possibly have a future together. And at that thought, she was stunned. Truly stunned. It had been such an incredibly long time since she had let herself even consider the possibility of some sort of happy future. And to think of Frank sharing that future with her left her nearly breathless. And so with reflections of what could be, she had drifted off into a sounder sleep.   
  
Now here it was nearly six hours later, and she was already awake and had once again resumed her pacing. The sun wasn't even up yet and she felt like she'd already put in a couple of miles, and in the dark to boot. Without being able to turn on the lights, she'd memorized the location of every wall. Every stick of furniture. Every doorway. And so her daily ritual had begun again.  
  
A few minutes after waking, she'd heard a noise outside. At first she ignored it. One of the neighbors to the left obviously worked at a nearby hospital. She'd seen her leave anywhere between 5:15 and 5:40 wearing a nurse's outfit, one of the colorful ones that looked like scrubs topped with a flowery lab coat. Even after the few short days that she'd spent holed up in this house, she would bet that all the neighbors would be shocked to know how much she'd learned about them. So many rituals and so much time to study each one.   
  
Less than a minute after hearing the first noise, she heard something else, but this time it was much closer to the house. She immediately stopped her relentless pacing and scurried to one of the front windows. She carefully pulled back one of the blinds just enough to see a small sliver of the outside. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw a strange car in the driveway. A silver Acura.   
  
As quickly and as silently as she could she flew up the stairs to retrieve her weapon. About the time she had reached the top landing, she heard someone trying to open the door. After grabbing her gun from the bedside table, she noiselessly crept back towards the staircase. Having traversed those same steps nearly a thousand times now, she knew exactly which ones would make noise and she knew how to avoid doing so.   
  
She had descended no more than five steps down when she heard something else. She froze, gluing herself to the wall and holding her breath. She listened intently for several seconds when she heard the noise again, only this time, she figured out exactly what the noise was. She let out her breath in a deep whoosh.  
  
"God damn it Donovan!! You scared me half to death!!" she nearly yelled.  
  
She flew down the remaining stairs and rounded the corner. She found him standing in the doorway to the kitchen holding the container to the coffee maker.  
  
"What? You couldn't get your own coffee maker to work, so you thought you'd drive all the way across town to use this one?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"Well, good morning to you too!" he returned with a smirk. Then he turned back around and continued with his task. She watched him silently for a few seconds giving herself time to calm her wildly beating heart.   
  
"OK…………don't take this the wrong way, but what the hell are you doing here? And who's car is in the driveway?"  
  
Frank finished with the coffee and turned back toward her. He approached her and reached out to take her in his arms. She willingly obliged him and settled into his embrace weaving her own arms around his strong back. She sighed deeply and melted into him. He held her for several minutes before he finally answered her.  
  
"This……..this is why I'm here."  
  
She pulled back slightly and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes. He brought one hand up and gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Then he lowered his lips to hers and gave her a tender kiss. Even a simple kiss like this one never ceased to bring her desire roaring to a full tilt boil.  
  
"I love that you're here," she stated in a near whisper, "but I thought you said that it was too dangerous to risk it."  
  
Frank wasn't paying attention to a thing that she said. Instead he seemed lost in the look of her. The feel of her. The scent of her. He felt like he was drowning and he was savoring every blessed second of it.  
  
"Frank?"  
  
"Hmmm??" he murmured as he leaned forward to nuzzle her hair breathing in a subtle flowery smell mingled with her own scent.  
  
"Are you going to answer my question?"   
  
"Question?" he replied distractedly as he continued down her neck now using his lips and tongue to tease the tender skin he found there.  
  
Kate for her part was rapidly losing whatever coherent thought she had remaining. So she quickly pulled away, intent on getting the answers she sought before completely giving herself over to his gentle ministrations.  
  
"Francis Xavier Donovan. Answer my questions or you don't get a centimeter closer to me!" She now stood an arm's length away from him with her hand firmly planted in the middle of his chest.  
  
Frank looked slightly anguished at the separation, but then quickly realized that he did indeed owe her an explanation for his actions. He had told her over and over for the last two days that he wouldn't be able to see her. Things were getting complicated at work. The warehouse was bugged. Jake was helping the Bureau build a case against him and he wasn't at all convinced that Jake hadn't somehow swayed Alex into helping him. All day Friday, Alex had been avoiding eye contact with him.  
  
He sighed and finally relented. "OK……..you're right. It is dangerous, me being here. Extremely dangerous. But……..I just had to see you, and I have no other explanation. After I talked to you last night, I hung up the phone and wanted nothing more than to jump in the car and come over here so that I could crawl into the bed next to you. The need to see you was overwhelming. And I don't know how to deal with it." And with that he walked over to the kitchen table and sat down heavily into one of the chairs. He looked like a defeated man. Head down. Shoulders slumped.   
  
Kate approached and knelt down on the floor next to him. She looked into his eyes and saw the tug-of-war that was waging inside him. He was torn between his feelings for her and his responsibilities and duties. She reached out her hand and rubbed it along his arm in a comforting gesture.  
  
"Talk to me," she quietly commanded.  
  
Frank looked at her and tried desperately to find the words to explain what he was going through. "For a very, very long time," he began, "I never let anyone get close to me. Sure, I've dated. I've even had one or two semi long-term relationships, but during all that, I was always in control. My feelings for whomever I was with, never got in the way of anything else in my life let alone my job. When I look back on those relationships now, I realize that I'd never let myself become emotionally attached to them. I always knew that I could walk away at any time and hardly bat an eye."   
  
Frank paused and smirked. "I guess I take after my mother. I never really considered it before, but that's pretty much the way she was with everyone. Including me. I always felt like the only one who ever really mattered to her was my father, and after he was gone, it was like the rest of the world mattered little to her. Unfortunately, I was a part of that rest of the world. After my father was killed, I never really had anyone else in my life that I felt connected to."  
  
"Frank……..I'm so sorry," she said sadly. Although she'd had a happier home life than Frank, she could relate to not wanting to get close to anyone. Being the daughter of a military officer, she too had grown leery of emotional attachments. So often as a child, as soon as she would start to make friends, it was time to move on.  
  
"I didn't tell you that to get your sympathy," he began, "I'm just trying to explain why I feel so out-of-sorts about this relationship. I've never jeopardized a case or my career for anyone. I knew I shouldn't come here this morning, but I couldn't concentrate on anything else until I did." He paused briefly and brought his hand up to her face and lightly traced her cheek with one of his fingers. "After I hung up with you, I paced around the Nest for a while and finally decided that I couldn't stay there 24-7 guarding the place. So I left. I went back to my apartment intent on trying to get a sound night's sleep. But when I climbed into bed, I swear I could still smell your scent on the sheets. You were everywhere, completely surrounding me. That's when I knew that it was no use. I had to see you. So I woke my neighbor up out of a dead sleep and made up some story about there being an emergency and that my car wasn't working, so he lent me his car. I knew that I'd been followed back to my apartment and that they'd follow me again if I left to go anywhere, so I took his car and luckily they didn't tail me. And here I am."   
  
"And here you are." She said softly staring into his warm brown eyes. Then she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss. Pulling back slightly she dared to ask what was on her mind. "If we survive this……..what happens then?"  
  
He paused to consider her question before answering with a question of his own. "What happens with us, you mean?" She nodded simply in response. "What do you think will happen? Better yet………what do you want to happen?"  
  
"If I had my way………..in a perfect world, I'd wake up every morning to evergreens and mountains in my backyard. I'd breathe in crisp clean air absent of any city's pollution. Maybe take a walk by a crystal clear lake and watch a family of mallards glide gracefully through the water. And finally, in my world, every night I'd find you waiting for me. We'd make love and fall into a peaceful, restful sleep wrapped up in each other's arms. That's what I want."  
  
He stared back into the piercing green eyes that had held him entranced from the very second that they'd met. "I love you."  
  
Those three simple words……………words that so often were used so carelessly and frequently that they'd lost all meaning…………those words spoken by this man meant more to her than all the treasures in the world. She instinctively knew that he would never have used them unless he meant them and that fact alone left her stunned and breathless. She could do nothing for several minutes but stare back at him wide-eyed. All manner of speech had left her entirely.  
  
Frank tried to read the expression on her face and as each second ticked by his gut began to twist into knots. Did she have any idea how hard it was for him to confess his feelings for her? Did she understand that she had gotten closer to him than practically anyone else in his life ever had and in only one week? And why wouldn't she say anything?   
  
When the tenseness of the moment had reached a crescendo, and Frank had decided that he'd made a huge mistake, she finally found her voice.  
  
"Oh baby……….I love you too," she barely managed to whisper, and at the second the words left her lips, tears began to fall down her cheeks. Never in her wildest imagination could she have imagined Frank telling her that he loved her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had held onto a thin thread of hope, but she never truly believed that it would happen.  
  
Frank let out a breath that he hadn't realized that he was holding and tried to calm his racing heart. He wasn't sure if it was beating so rapidly because of the words that she'd said or because she'd paused so long before saying them, but either way he felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Whatever came about in the next few days, he knew that they would survive and he'd do anything to make their lives together work.  
  
He reached out and gathered her into his warm embrace. He just held her there for what seemed an eternity and then slowly stood bringing her along with him. And as the faintest light of the approaching dawn began to brighten the horizon, Frank scooped her up into his strong arms and proceeded to carry her to the bedroom upstairs. Once there, the two joined, body, heart and soul.  
  
  
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7:58AM  
  
  
Cody arrived at the Nest and was surprised to find a fleet of cars already in the parking lot. He parked his own vehicle and checked out the others before venturing inside. Four black Suburbans, 3 black Crown Victorias, and surprisingly, Jake's Tahoe.  
  
"Oh shit," Cody mumbled to himself. Feds cars. No doubt about it. And he immediately worried about the implications of Jake's involvement. He and Donovan had ended things badly, but would Jake really be working against them?  
  
Before leaving his car, Cody grabbed his cell phone and dialed Frank's number. It rang four times and then his voice mail kicked on. Cody thought twice about leaving a message but left one anyway. He needed to be warned. Things were about to get ugly, fast.  
  
After placing the call, he ventured warily into the building. He hadn't made it three steps into the warehouse when he was confronted by a wall of a man who looked like he could break Cody in two using only his baby finger.   
  
"Uh……..Um……..hello. And you are?" Cody asked timidly.  
  
"Agent Forester. Please join us." Cody looked past the hulking goon and straight at FBI Director Daniel Lindford. "It's nice to see you again."  
  
"Ahhh……….it's nice to see you……..too," Cody answered haltingly. He continued into the briefing area and found at least a dozen agents. Most were obviously hired muscle looking much like the thug that had confronted him at the entrance. All had on the same non-descript black suits and white shirts. And then there was Jake. He sat away from the others at the table and from what Cody could see, he looked more than a little uncomfortable. He barely raised his eyes to acknowledge Cody's presence, which only helped to confirm his suspicions. Jake was in league with these men and more than likely they were here to bring Donovan in. The thought sent chills down Cody's spine.  
  
"Please have a seat Cody," Director Lindford said. "Agent Shaw has been able to enlighten us on the group's activities for the past two months, but we were hoping that maybe you could help fill us in on some of the blanks. Could you do that for us?" Cody glanced quickly in Jake's direction and Jake in turn looked away as quickly as he could. *We are in deep shit,* Cody thought.  
  
Feeling that he had little choice, Cody nodded and said, "I'll tell you what I can." And with that the questions began.  
  
  
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8:10AM  
  
  
Frank had just left Kate and was heading back toward his apartment building. He needed to return his neighbor's car and pick up his own. As he drove, he ran the past few hours through his mind once more. He smiled warmly at the memories and for the first time in a really long time he felt hopeful about the future. Of course he knew that they had a long haul ahead of them, but for some reason this morning he was feeling rather hopeful. *Love can do that to you, I guess.* And he almost chuckled at the thought.  
  
As he got closer to his building, all of a sudden an odd thought struck him. *How did she know my middle name?* He knew for certain that he had never told her. He'd spilled his guts on just about every other subject, but he was positive that his full name had never come up in conversation. For some reason it worried him, so he picked up his phone and called her.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey……..it's me."  
  
She laughed huskily. "You can't have missed me already."  
  
He smiled at her playful tone, but quickly got to the question at hand. "How do you know my middle name?"  
  
"What?" she asked confused, not only by the question but by the timing of it. *What in the world made him think of that?*  
  
"Earlier………you called me by my full name. How did you know my middle name?"  
  
Kate thought about it for a few seconds. "You must have told me."  
  
"I didn't. I know I didn't."  
  
"Well………if you didn't tell me, then I must have seen it in your file," she answered innocently.  
  
"My file? When would you have seen my file?" he questioned trying to remain calm.  
  
"The other day. I was bored so I starting surfing the net and got curious."  
  
Frank almost ran a red light, he was so stunned by her answer. "What computer were you using and how did you access my file when it's coded?" he asked trying to keep the strain out of his voice.  
  
"I just used the terminal here. You know, you really should tell your friends to come up with better passwords. Everyone uses birth dates. And as for how I got to your file, I used my password. I have top secret clearance."  
  
Frank pulled off onto a side street and parked. He closed his eyes and tried to settle down a bit before replying.  
  
When he didn't say anything else, she began to worry. "Frank? Are you still there?"  
  
"I'm here," he stated with steel in his voice. "Do you have any idea what kind of jeopardy you've put yourself in?"  
  
"I don't understand," she answered now feeling a little uneasy.  
  
"You accessed a coded file using the password assigned to a wanted fugitive. And on top of that, you used a PC that can be traced."  
  
"Oh my God…….." she whispered as the blood in her veins ran cold. "I didn't even think about it. I…….was bored……..I just needed something to do………I….."  
  
"When did you do this?" he asked cutting her off.  
  
"Yesterday morning." Frank mulled over her answer and wondered if by some miracle the mistake hadn't been caught. It should have sent up a red flag immediately and he pondered why it hadn't.  
  
"I'll call you back."   
  
"Frank………….I'm sorry."  
  
He sighed and rubbed his eyes suddenly feeling very tired. "I know. I'll call you back." And then he disconnected the phone. When he did so, he noticed that he had a voice mail message. He listened to the message that Cody had left earlier. FBI agents were at the Nest and Jake was with them. *Maybe they had traced Kate's download? But why would they have stopped there first instead of coming straight to the house?* And as he questioned himself about his next course of action, his phone rang. Expecting it to be Kate, he was surprised when he saw Cody's phone number pop up.  
  
"Donovan."  
  
"Thank God!! You answered! I'll make this quick. The agents that I left a message about before just left here and I heard them say something like 'Now we've got them'."  
  
Already putting the car in gear, Frank then asked, "What made them say that?"  
  
"I'm not 100% sure, but after they fooled with my computer for a while, they seemed to get all excited about something they found, but I couldn't see what it was."  
  
"That's when they left?"  
  
"Yeah……..and boss………I hate to tell you this, but……….Jake was the first one out of the parking lot."  
  
Frank sighed and then said, "Thanks Cody. I owe you one." And then he hung up and called Kate back. He didn't even give her a chance to say a word before he was barking orders.  
  
"You've got about ten minutes to get your things together. Gather what you can and leave the house immediately. Don't go directly out the front. Hop the back fence and make your way to the side street to the south of the house. I'll pick you up there."  
  
"Frank?? What happened?" she asked shakily.  
  
"They know where you are and they're coming for you, baby."  
  
  
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Next chapter: The final showdown 


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Seventeen  
  
  
  
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Sorry it's taken so long to update!! Work has occupied 18 out of every 24 hours! Yukk!! We're coming into the homestretch here folks!! Just a couple of chapters to go. ^_^ And thanks as always for the kind reviews!!!!!  
  
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Katie ran frantically up the stairs. She had about 5 to 10 minutes to gather what she could and exit the house. They were on their way and it was her own stupid fault. She couldn't believe how careless she'd been. She'd used the computer in the house to look up Frank's file. An encoded file at that. How could she have not thought about the consequences of that action. *Slick move Katherine Marie!!! You've managed to evade the law so far and here you go thinking with your libido instead of your brain!! Stupid! Stupid!*  
  
After collecting only what was essential, her weapon and a few changes of clothes, she slowly made her way to the back door. Senses now on full alert, she opened it and peered around the back yard. No movement and no sounds out of the ordinary reached her. She proceeded quickly to the back fence and with a modicum of effort she was able to scale it. She dropped down onto the grass of the facing house and stopped just briefly, waiting to see if the occupants had seen her. When no one exited the house demanding to know her intentions, she figured that she was safe. At least for the moment. She slowly scooted around the outside of the building making her way toward the other street. Frank had said to head toward the street to the south, so after reaching the sidewalk she briskly headed in that direction.  
  
After reaching the road that he'd specified, Kate began to look around for his car. She knew that he wouldn't have had time to get his own car back, so she scanned the area for the silver Acura that he'd arrived in that morning. Many minutes passed and her panic level began to rise. What if they'd already caught up with him? Even worse, what if he wasn't coming for her? She tried to calm herself as best as she could, but as the seconds ticked by, her heart rate began to escalate. Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, she spotted his car rounding the corner, practically on two wheels.   
  
Frank screeched to a halt a few feet away and reached over to open the car door for her. "Get in! Now!" he nearly shouted. She'd barely gotten in the vehicle before he immediately pulled away from the curb. She quickly slammed the door shut and glanced over at Frank. His face looked like it was set in stone. Jaws tightly clenched. Eyes never wavering from the road ahead.  
  
"Frank," she began timidly, "I………I'm so……….I'm so sorry." She knew that the predicament that they were in was entirely her fault. Instead of acting like a highly trained professional, she'd been behaving like a love-sick schoolgirl trying to find out all she could about her new "boyfriend". And her actions could very well lead to the end very quickly.   
  
She continued to stare at him as he wound through the suburban side streets. If he'd heard what she had said, he gave no indication of it. He just maintained his vigilance of the road ahead pausing only briefly from time to time to glance in the rear view mirror, no doubt looking for tails.  
  
"Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked quietly. "Don't you want to tell me how stupid I am? How I jeopardized everything without thinking? How disappointed you are with my actions?" Frank quickly shot her a look but turned his attention once more to the street.   
  
"What do you want me to say, Kate?" he replied in a controlled tone. "I'm sure there's nothing I could possibly say that you haven't already said to yourself. Yes, it was a stupid move. Yes, you should have known better. But the truth is, anything I say isn't going to make the current situation go away. I wish I could, but I can't."  
  
Kate turned her head to look out at the passing buildings. She tried desperately to control the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she willed them not to fall. She knew that she'd let him down, but crying like a baby wasn't going to fix the situation.  
  
"So where are we going now?" she finally asked.  
  
"First," he began, "we have to ditch this car." And with that he pulled into the parking lot of a local office building. "I'm sure that I wasn't followed earlier, but eventually they may come looking for me and then they might find out from my neighbor that I took his car instead of using my own. In any case, we need to be careful."   
  
Frank parked the car near the end of the lot and got out telling her to slump down in the seat and wait for him to return. Kate did as he instructed. She was practically sitting on the floor but from her vantage point she could still see out the window. She watched as Frank nonchalantly strolled through the lot glancing from time to time to this car or that. Suddenly he stopped and dropped down out of sight. A few seconds later she heard an engine roar to life and a few moments after that she saw a black Ford Taurus pull up to the back of the Acura. She gazed over the seat back and saw Frank motioning for her to exit the car and join him. She did so quickly sliding into their new mode of transportation. He then took off and they were once again on their way.  
  
"You know," she began, "…….if this Justice Department thing doesn't pan out, I think you have a bright future in auto thefts." Frank shot her a quick look and smiled briefly before returning to his previously stern expression.  
  
"So what now?" she asked once again.  
  
"We have three more stops to make and then we'll head out of town."  
  
"Where do we have to stop?" she asked curiously, amazed at how this man's mind worked. He already had a game plan when she would have still been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.  
  
"First……..we need to fill up the tank. Whoever owns this car obviously believes that you don't have to fill up until the needle is solidly on E. Second……..we'll grab some food at a local convenience store. Enough to tide us over for at least a day or two, because like it or not, we may be sleeping in this car as well. And finally……..let's just say, I want to make doubly sure that we're not spotted in this car." Kate had no idea what he was talking about, but she trusted him enough to know that he knew what he was doing.  
  
A few miles later, Frank pulled into a gas station and as luck would have it, there was a little Mom and Pop grocery store next to it. "Ok here's the plan…….I'll fill up the car," he started, "and you run over to the store and purchase what we'll need there. And if we're lucky, we'll be out of here in fifteen minutes max."   
  
Both exited the vehicle and before Kate headed over to the nearby store, Frank handed her $50 in cash. "That should be enough for now. Don't go overboard. And don't buy all junk food," he said with a smirk. Kate gave her best mock exasperated expression before heading over to the next building.  
  
Less than ten minutes later, Kate exited the store and found Frank parked directly across the lot waiting for her. She opened the back door, placed the bags on the back seat and then slid into the front seat next to him. Immediately after that, they were off and heading towards the outskirts of town.  
  
"So what's this last stop you need to make?" she asked quizzically.  
  
"Eventually this car too will be reported stolen. Then they'll find the Acura and put two and two together. Then they'll put an APB out for a black Taurus with this license plate. So we need to change the license plates. Not that that will keep them from finding us forever, but it'll slow them down at least."  
  
Kate nodded her appreciation of his thoroughness. "Clever, Agent Donovan………very clever."  
  
When they had the interstate in sight, Frank pulled the car into a restaurant parking lot. He pulled around to the back of the building where mostly employees would park. Before leaving the vehicle he turned to Kate and asked, "Do you have the change from the $50 I gave you earlier?"   
  
Kate looked at him a little bewildered, nodded her head and scrounged around in her pocket for the money. She handed it to him and he quickly discarded the paper instead sifting through the coins. He quickly found what he was looking for and then handed the rest back to her before opening the door and slipping out. She was about to ask what that was all about, but he'd left before she had a chance to. Several minutes later she saw him walking back toward their car with something concealed under his jacket. He bent down at the front of the car and after a minute or two headed around to the back. Before she knew it, he had finished and they were once again under way.  
  
"Mind telling me why you needed the coins I handed you earlier?"  
  
Frank dug around in his jacket pocket and pulled out a now fairly mutilated dime. "Makes a great screwdriver in a pinch," he stated smugly.  
  
"Nice one MacGyver. Can't wait to see what you can do with bubble gum and a match stick." Frank smiled in response but never took his eyes off the road. They were approaching the on ramp to the highway. A perfect place to set up a roadblock. His eyes continually scanned the area looking for signs of law enforcement of any type. When they were within a couple of blocks, Frank spotted a couple of Chicago police cruisers near the entranceway.   
  
"Damn it!! I should have figured that they'd have had time to set up a trap for us!"  
  
"Are you sure they're looking for us? It doesn't look like the traditional roadblock."  
  
"It's not a roadblock. These guys are just there to alert the Bureau if we head this way."  
  
"We're not in the same car. Maybe they won't even look at us as we pass."  
  
"Maybe…." Frank mulled over the possibility. "I'm just not willing to take that chance." And with that, he turned down the next side street instead of proceeding onto the highway.  
  
"OK……..now what?"  
  
"Well it's a safe bet that just about every major roadway will have the same type of surveillance set up. They'll have already staked out the airports and bus and train stations as well." He continued to drive through the neighborhood streets, while scanning area after area.  
  
Kate sat across the car and stared at Frank. They were trapped. He hadn't said it, but she knew that it was the truth. Because of her stupidity, they were being hunted down. Hunted down by men who wouldn't stop. Not for anything. The hopelessness of the situation suddenly overwhelmed her and the tears once again threatened to fall. She was trying her best not to give in to the hopelessness, but it was a battle she was quickly losing. She turned her face away from him trying to conceal her emotions, but when she felt his hand reach out and gently take hold of her own, she couldn't hold back any longer.  
  
"I'm so sorry Frank," she said through sniffles and tears, "I'm so sorry to have gotten you involved in this. If I'd just stuck to my original plan, I would have been miles away from here. Probably in some exotic foreign country hiding out. And your life would have never been put in danger."  
  
"Hey……" he started trying to get her attention, "If you would have kept on running……then I would have never had the pleasure of getting to know you."  
  
Kate snorted in response. "Oh yeah…….I'm sure getting to know me has been the highlight of your life!" she answered sarcastically. "I've done nothing but cause you one problem after another. I've torn apart your team. I've put your job in jeopardy. I've put your life in danger……….yeah…….I can see how getting to know me was a really great thing."  
  
Frank said nothing for quite a while. He simply held on to her hand, brushing his thumb across the back of her knuckles. "You're forgetting one thing though," he finally said.  
  
Kate turned toward him, tears still shimmering in her green eyes. "What's that?" she asked softly.  
  
Frank took his eyes off the road ahead just long enough to look her in the eye and say, "I love you."  
  
Kate stared at him in disbelief. After everything she'd put him through, he still loved her. She was stunned, pure and simple. She knew that she'd done nothing to deserve his loyalty let alone his love. She held onto his hand a little tighter and then leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.   
  
"I……I love you too," she said in a hoarse whisper. Then she leaned back and continued to stare out the window at the passing houses. She saw people going about their everyday lives. Women shuttling their children off to school. An elderly gentleman raking leaves in his front yard. An appliance delivery truck pulling up to it's next appointment. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, knowing that she would never be able to live an ordinary everyday life. The second she'd elected to go down her chosen career path, she'd shut the door on the possibility of any semblance of normalcy. She'd pondered a different life before, but until she'd met Frank, until she'd fallen in love with him, she'd never truly mourned the loss.  
  
When she'd collected herself enough, she once again asked, "So what now?"  
  
Frank pondered her question for a few moments. He'd been mulling over the same query ever since they'd been unable to get on the highway. He knew that there was now no way for them to simply break loose and run. With every major exit to the city under the watchful eye of the Chicago PD and every other authority that the Justice Department could drum up, there was no simple way for them to get away. He considered driving as far as they dared and then taking off on foot but realized that they'd be in more danger that way without a fast means of escape. They could always hide out in some little dive hotel for a while, but with limited cash that would only work for so long. Without being able to use a credit card or ATM card, they're choices were limited. They had to come up with something unconventional in order to survive.  
  
"What made you decide to hide out in Chicago?"  
  
"What?" she asked perplexed by the question. She'd been expecting some brilliant plan, not a question about her past moves.  
  
"What made you choose such a populated urban area as Chicago?"  
  
"I don't know…….I guess I just figured that instead of running all around the world, it might be easier to get lost in a large crowd. That's why I cut and dyed my hair. I wanted to take on a new identity and then try to blend in." She finished her explanation and glanced at Frank trying to figure out in which direction his mind was headed.  
  
"In other words……..you wanted to hide in plain sight. Is that it?"  
  
"Pretty much. I would have worked too except I had no idea that you and your group were based out of Chicago. If I'd known that the very team that was after me was in here, I would have chosen LA or Dallas, maybe even New York."  
  
Frank thought through her answer for a few moments and then smiled. "That's it. That's what we'll do."  
  
"What's what we'll do?" she asked confused.  
  
"Where would be the last place that they'd expect to find us?"  
  
"Ummmm……..I don't know……….your place? The FBI headquarters in Chicago? Any police station?"  
  
"You're close. The last place that they'd look, is back at the Nest."  
  
"You're kidding me, right? You're not seriously considering going back there."  
  
"Think about it. If I know the Bureau and the CIA for that matter, the minute they got a fix on where we were, they mobilized everyone and sent them off in a hundred different directions. Right now, they're everywhere. Everywhere but there."  
  
Kate stared at him transfixed. He was right. There were probably a hundred or more agents out and about as they spoke and the odds of running into one of them was escalating as the minutes ticked by. And those same agents would continue their patrols until more evidence was found.   
  
"OK……..let's just say that you're right," she started. "We go to the warehouse. How do you know that you'll still be able to get in? Didn't you say that the place was bugged? How long before someone comes back there?"  
  
"First……I doubt that they've thought about changing access codes to the building. Like I said, it'll be the last place that they would think that I would go. Second…..the place is bugged. But again unless they expect someone to be there, no one will be monitoring the feed. Third……I wouldn't expect them to return for at least a while. They're all out and about looking for us. Including Cody and Monica, who I assume they'll have following Jake and Alex around town while they pursue us. And even if by some chance they were left behind, they're on our side, remember?"  
  
"Alright. You convinced me. So do we head there now?"  
  
"We're going to get close, but I want a little while to observe the place just to make sure. There are some other buildings in the area that where we can conceal ourselves at least for a short while. Then after I'm sure that everyone is gone, then we'll enter the warehouse."  
  
"OK…….you're the mastermind of this operation. If you think it'll work then I'm with you."   
  
Frank quickly glanced in her direction and smiled. "It'll work. Trust me."  
  
"I've said it before and I'll say it again…………I do trust you. It's the rest of the world that gives me nightmares." And without another word, Frank turned the car in the direction of the Nest.  
  
  
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About the time that Frank was stealing the Taurus, Jake had finally arrived at the house that Frank had used to hide Kate. He'd broken about every traffic law to get there, and more importantly to get there first. He had to do this. He had to be the one to bring them in. And with that single-mindedness, he slowly approached the two-story home, gun drawn. He snuck around the back and tried the back door. To his surprise, it was unlocked. He got an anxious feeling as he turned the knob and entered.   
  
She wasn't there. He couldn't explain how he knew it, but he could sense that she was gone. The unlocked door had clinched it. There was no way that she or Frank would have left the entry unlocked. Still, he had to make a thorough search just in case. And so he proceeded. Room by room. Top to bottom. And by the time he'd finished his exploration, the other Justice Dept. vehicles had shown up. He made his way to the front door.  
  
"They're gone."  
  
Director Lindford had barely made it to the first step of the porch when Jake had opened the door and made his announcement. "What do you mean they're gone?"   
  
"I mean…….they're gone. Not here. Vacated the premises. Ran off. High-tailed it. They're gone."  
  
"I don't think I like your tone, Agent Shaw."  
  
Jake laughed brusquely. "Why the hell does my tone matter? They're gone pure and simple and varying my tone isn't going to change that fact." And as he said that, he walked past the Director and headed to his truck.  
  
"And exactly where do you think you're going? There is evidence in there to be analyzed. They could have left behind vital clues that will lead us to their whereabouts."  
  
Jake paused before entering his vehicle. "You're right. There probably is some sort of clue in there. But that's why you and your boys are here. You go over the evidence with a fine tooth comb, but in the mean time, they're out there, and I'm going to be the one that finds them." And before the other man had a chance to reply, Jake had started the engine and pulled away.  
  
When Jake was a mere block away, he pulled out his cell phone and placed a call.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Alex…….it's me. I need your help. You know, like we talked about the other day."  
  
"Jake what's going on? I mean, I get here this morning and Cody's starts babbling about a dozen agents and how they all took off after they found something on the computer. He also said that you were with them."  
  
"I was with them. Then we got a lead about where we could find Katherine. We found the house where Donovan had her stashed, but by the time we got here, she was already gone."  
  
"Jake?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How bad is it?"  
  
Jake sighed heavily and then replied. "It's bad. Before they only suspected that he was aiding her, now they have evidence. They're out to nail him to the cross on this one, Alex. Seriously, they're out for blood."  
  
"What do we need to do?"  
  
"First of all, I'll be there in about 15 to 20 minutes to pick you up. And while you're waiting, get Cody and Monica ready to roll. They may not want to help to hunt them down, but tell them they don't have a choice. Either we bring them in quietly or things are gonna get bloody fast. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah…….got it. We'll be ready."  
  
  
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As soon as Jake pulled away from the house, Daniel Lindford placed a call of his own.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Tom……..it's Daniel. We need to put our little plan into action. Immediately. You have about an hour to get your things together and check out of that posh little hotel you've been holed up in."  
  
"Where's the target?"  
  
"Well…….there seems to be a little snag at the moment, but I have every confidence that a new lead will be found any minute now."  
  
"Fine…….I'll be ready." And just as Tom was about to hang up he heard one more thing.  
  
"There is a slight change to our original plan though. The woman is no longer the biggest threat here. We want you to take out her accomplice."  
  
Tom was stunned. He'd been prepared to take out the woman but he'd just been ordered to kill a friend, a man that he known and worked with for over ten years.  
  
"Tom? Did you hear me?"  
  
After regaining his composure, he finally answered, "Yes……I heard you. Take out the accomplice."  
  
"You don't have a problem with that, do you?"  
  
"It's just another job, Daniel. It's just another job."  
  
"Good. You'll be hearing from me soon."  
  
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	18. Chapter Eighteen

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
  
  
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Again (I know I'm sounding like a broken record) thank you soooooooooo much for the kind reviews!! You guys are the best!!!!!  
  
Just a couple of chapters more!!  
  
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Jake arrived at the Nest about 20 minutes after calling Alex. He parked his truck and started to head into the warehouse when he spotted some movement outside the building. Whatever it was, it had headed around the corner. Gun drawn, he proceeded stealthily to the side of the structure. Rounding the corner, he came face to face with the culprit.  
  
"Jesus Christ, Jake!!!!! You scared the shit out of me!! Almost literally!"  
  
"Sorry Cody. I thought I saw someone sneaking around outside……..I just wanted to be cautious." He rather amusedly watched as the other man walked around in a slow circle clutching his chest and breathing rapidly. *Yep…….he definitely could never go undercover!*  
  
"What are you doing out here anyway?" Jake inquired.  
  
"We're……..sorry…still catching my breath…….we're getting the van ready to roll. Or….at least that's what I was doing till some hotshot decided to scare me half to death by jumping from out of nowhere and sticking a gun in my face!"  
  
"First of all, Cody, I didn't jump from out of nowhere. I came around the corner of the building……in broad daylight, I might add. And second………get over it! Geez….it wasn't THAT bad." And with that Jake turned around and started to head to the entrance.  
  
"Wasn't that bad?? Oh….. that's right, you're used to pulling guns on your fellow agents…….I forgot!"  
  
Jake stopped abruptly and turned to face Cody. "Exactly what the hell are you implying? If you've got something to say, then say it!"  
  
Cody walked over until he was standing toe to toe with Jake. "Alright…….what the hell's going on Jake? Hmmm? What were you doing with those overgrown Mr. Universe rejects that were here earlier? Exactly what is your part in all of this? Have you sold him out yet? That's my guess. You got your little feelings hurt and you wanted to strike back. So you made a few phone calls and made sure that EVERYONE at the Bureau knows what Donovan is up to. And if that's the case, you don't have all the facts Jake……..you really don't."  
  
Jake was seething. His jaws were clamped tightly shut and it was taking everything he had not to punch the other man's lights out. There were so many things he wanted to say, but the bottom line was, he didn't have the time. So instead of launching into a tirade of epic proportions, instead he simply turned around and began to walk toward the building once more.  
  
Cody was shocked. He'd half expected to come out of that one with more than a few bumps and bruises, but here he stood with nary a scratch on him.   
  
"Jake?"   
  
Once again Jake stopped, closed his eyes and sighed. After a few seconds he turned around and stared down the tech-op. "What is it Cody?" he asked almost sadly.  
  
"That's it?" Cody asked incredulously.  
  
"Cody……..I don't have the time for this. Let's just say that maybe……….maybe you're the one without all of the facts. But the bottom line is that if we have to find Donovan first. Period. Because if the rest of them come across him before we do, I have no doubt that they've been told to shoot first and ask questions later. Got it?" Cody nodded numbly in reply.   
  
Jake turned once more and finally made it to the front door uninterrupted. Once inside, he quickly found Alex suiting up and getting ready to leave.  
  
"Ready?" Jake asked as he watched her buckle on her Kevlar vest.  
  
She snorted and then replied, "No……but do I have a choice?"  
  
Jake gave her a lopsided grin and said, "Not much of a choice is it?"  
  
Monica, who had heard their voices, walked over to where the two were now sitting and stopped in the doorway eyeing Jake suspiciously. Jake looked up and caught the look in the profiler's eyes.  
  
"You have something to say too?" he asked rather abruptly.  
  
"Too?" Alex interjected.  
  
"Yeah……Cody ran into me outside and had to get in his two cents. So Monica……….you have something to add?"  
  
Monica stood there for a few moments with her arms folded across her chest (a defensive pose she reminded herself) before she finally spoke. "There's a lot of things that I could say or ask, Jake, but somehow I don't think we have the time right now. Am I right?"  
  
Jake sighed once again and then replied. "You're absolutely right. We don't have the time. Maybe when this is all over, the group of us can sit down and discuss this."  
Alex nodded and then stood to leave with Jake close on her heels.  
  
"Just one thing Jake," Monica interrupted. Jake stopped and turned toward her waiting for her to finish. "You said the group of us could sit down and talk. Are you including Donovan in that group?"  
  
Jake stared at her blankly, not knowing how to respond. He paused for a few more seconds before answering truthfully, "I don't know Monica………but I wouldn't count on it." And then he turned and headed out the door with Alex..  
  
  
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Frank watched as Jake and Alex exited the building and headed to Jake's truck. A few seconds later the vehicle left the lot. He knew that Cody and Monica would be leaving soon as well. He'd observed Cody out at the van just a few minutes earlier. He'd also seen the apparent run in between Jake and Cody. Frank hated what this case was doing to his team but felt helpless to stop it.  
  
As if on cue, Monica and Cody also exited the warehouse and moved toward the surveillance van. A few seconds passed before it too left the area. To the best of his knowledge the building was now empty, but he wanted to wait a while longer before venturing inside.   
  
Frank left his perch on the top of the neighboring vacant office building and approached Kate who was sitting on the roof near the stairwell. He gazed at her for a few seconds before approaching. She seemed lost in thought, totally oblivious to the world around her. Frank also noticed that she appeared nervous. She continually rubbed the palms of her hands together and stopped every twenty seconds or so to check the state of her weapon that lay on the ground in front of her.  
  
"Leave it alone."  
  
She nearly jumped at the sound of his voice and looked up at him quizzically. "Leave what alone?"  
  
"Your gun. You've checked it three times already in the minute that I've been watching you. It's not going to unload itself. It's not going to re-engage the safety lock when you're not looking."  
  
She smiled slightly and couldn't help but appreciate his efforts to help her settle down a bit. It was her turn to observe him. First of all, she was always stunned by how incredibly gorgeous the man was. Tall, lean, muscular, and of course, absolutely the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. And to top it all off, even now, he appeared to be completely calm and in control. A fact that only added to his overall sexiness.   
  
"What are you thinking about?" he asked with a slight grin on his face. He'd seen the way she'd been looking at him and had wondered where her head was at now.   
  
"Nothing," she answered before rising from the ground and heading toward the other side of the building.  
  
"Nothing, huh? Is that why you're blushing?" he asked as he followed her.  
  
"I am not blushing! It's just the cool wind that's blowing around up here. You know, it's only 52 degrees today." For some reason she felt embarrassed about having been caught so obviously checking him out. She had no idea why she felt that way, but she did.  
  
"If you say so," he remarked amusedly. He wanted to pursue the conversation more. Seeing her blush like that caused his blood to come to a slow boil, but the truth was they didn't have time for any sort of dalliance. Not now. He gritted his teeth and decided it was time to press on.  
  
"We have to get going," he informed her. "It appears that everyone's left the building, so now's our chance to get in there unseen."  
  
"Are you sure they won't be back?" she asked anxiously.  
  
"Pretty sure. They'd have no reason to, that is unless they trace us back here, which I highly doubt."  
  
"Are you always so sure about everything? I mean, it seems that you always have an idea about what's going to happen and when. Haven't you ever been surprised by anything? You know, haven't you ever been caught off guard?"  
  
"Only once," he answered simply.  
  
"You're kidding me! Only once! I have to hear the details. It's gotta be a great story."  
  
"It is…….but actually, you already know the details."  
  
"I do?" she replied in shock.   
  
"Yes……..it's when I fell in love with you." Frank then reached out and captured her hand and gently placed a kiss in her palm.  
  
Kate stared at him in shock and for the second time in the hour she blushed once again. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that he had so unsuspectingly fallen in love with her or how a simple gesture like kissing the palm of her hand could make her want him like she'd never wanted anything else in her life.  
  
Seeing her reaction made Frank want nothing more than to spirit her away and spend the rest of the day in bed with her, but the cold reality of the situation was staring them both in the face. A presence that could not be ignored. Groaning in frustration, Frank pulled Kate to him and planted a passionate kiss on her lips, but then as quickly as the kiss had started it was over and he was pulling her toward the stairwell that would lead them out of the building.  
  
Kate, for her part, was trying desperately to regain some sort of coherent thought after that kiss. She had no idea what had caused it and more importantly, she had no idea how he expected her to function after it. They were halfway through the building when the bitter dread began to seep into her bones once more.   
  
Once they arrived on the bottom floor and were at the door that would lead them across the street to the Nest, Kate grabbed hold of Frank's arm in order to halt his progress.  
  
"Why don't we just stay here?"  
  
Frank stared at her and could see the apprehension in her eyes. "We can't. This building is patrolled by a security detail every night. We'd be caught for sure. No…..this is the only way. Trust me."  
  
"Again with the 'trust me'. Alright………if you're sure it's the best place for us to go."  
  
Frank then looked out the door once more making sure that nothing was out of the ordinary. He then motioned for her to exit and he followed right after he replaced the lock on the rather large door. Once outside, they proceeded at a rather leisurely pace so as not to attract any attention. There were very few people who ever ventured into the area, but if any did, two individuals scurrying about would surely cause concern.   
  
When they drew near the warehouse, Frank experienced at least a few seconds of anxiety, a fact that he made sure to hide from Kate. What if the locks or alarm codes had been changed? What if video surveillance had been installed inside? What if someone really was listening to the audio feed from the bugs that had been placed? As the questions raced through his mind, he chose to ignore them and figured that they couldn't turn back now. With that thought he punched in the access code on the alarm keypad and waited anxiously for the light to turn from red to green. A few seconds ticked by before it did just that. *One obstacle hurdled.* He then placed his key in the lock and was pleased when it turned freely unlocking the door.   
  
He and Kate then quickly and quietly entered the building. They had discussed before hand that they would keep any noise and conversation to a minimum just in case someone would, on occasion, listen to the audio. After locking the door and resetting the alarm to the outside doors and windows, the two worked their way further into the building. The place was indeed deserted and silent as a tomb. At that thought, Kate suddenly felt a cold chill traverse it's way up her body.  
  
Once they made it to the main area near the endless bank of computers, Frank motioned for her to stay where she was. She looked at him curiously as he went in search of something. A few moments later he returned holding a device that she couldn't quite see in the dim light. But after a minute or two she realized that it was a bug sweeper. He had it held out in font of him and was slowly making his way toward the stairs that lead to the second level. He swept the device from side to side, his eyes never leaving the readout on the apparatus in his hands.   
  
Once up the steps, Frank immediately headed into his office and was pleased when the device registered nothing. He took a few more measurements to make doubly sure, but his original assumption was correct. They hadn't replaced the damaged bugs in his office. After shutting off the machine and placing it out of the way, he turned to Kate.  
  
"It's ok, they haven't replaced the bugs in this office."  
  
"Oh, thank God. I thought I'd either have to learn sign language or I'd get writer's cramp from writing down every single thought that I had."  
  
"See……it's just further proof that they'd never expect us to come here."  
  
"Great………..so now that we're here, what's the next step of the plan?"  
  
  
"First…..I want to regroup a little. Making a run for it came a little sooner than I'd anticipated. Second…….as each hour ticks by, they'll become more and more convinced that somehow we've made it outside the city limits and when they do, they'll become more lax on roadblocks etc. and that's when we make a break for it."  
  
Kate eyed him appreciatively. He never ceased to amaze her, even when he didn't have a plan, he had a plan for getting a plan. She slowly walked over to him and put her arms around him.  
  
"You know what I could use right now?" she asked in a sultry tone.  
  
Frank stared back at the woman in his arms and wondered not for the first time how easily she could spring back from a stressful situation. "Hmmmm………I have no idea," he countered playfully.  
  
"A nap."  
  
"A nap?" he asked disappointedly. "You have to be kidding me?"  
  
"Nope. Not kidding. I've slept so little the last couple of days, that I think it's finally catching up with me. I either grab a cat nap now or I fall over dead on my feet in a few hours when things may get critical. Your choice Donovan. Either a nap now or dead on my feet later. You choose."  
  
He stared at her in disbelief. She was serious. He had no doubt about that. Well, as she said, better now than later.  
  
"Fine," he said pulling away from her. "On the couch with you. I'll give you a couple of hours."  
  
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that you're not the sweetest man that ever lived, Frank Donovan," she said with an impish grin.  
  
Frank smiled at her and then shooed her over to the couch. She laid down and managed to get comfortable quickly, which surprised her considering that the piece of furniture looked anything but accommodating. Frank knelt down briefly next to her, smoothed back some of the hair that was threatening to fall into her face and then lightly kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams. I'll come wake you in a couple of hours." Kate flashed him a quick grin and then peacefully closed her eyes.  
  
  
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Across town at the house that had, until recently, been Kate's temporary home, tension was running high.  
  
"What the hell do you mean, we can't find them!!!! They're in this city God damn it! There's no way that they got out in time before the virtual lock down. Jesus Christ!! We've got enough law enforcement assigned to this case to find the proverbial needle in a haystack!" FBI Director Daniel Lindford was not a happy man. His best laid plans were falling apart. From major incompetence, he had no doubt. He continued pacing and shouting obscenities at anyone who crossed paths with him. After calling everyone he could think of and not hearing what he desperately wanted to find out, he slammed his cell phone shut and tossed it across the room.  
  
"Now what did that poor defenseless phone ever do to you?"  
  
Daniel rounded on the man speaking to him. If looks could have killed Tom would have been six feet under by now. He hated Tom, in fact he hated all CIA but especially assassins. They were nothing but soulless creatures with a license to kill. The only reason he put up with any of them was because occasionally they came in handy. Like now, for example. When they finally got word where Donovan and his little bitch could be found, he'd dispatch Tom and the case would be over in a matter of hours. Still, having to deal with the man until that time was wearing on his nerves. It amazed him how relaxed Tom seemed to be, lounging in the easy chair presumably without a care in the world.  
  
"You know…….I'd really prefer it if you didn't speak to me right now." Daniel then turned his back and proceeded to walk away.  
  
"Danny……..Danny………Danny…..now what kind of way is that to talk to one of your oldest and dearest friends?" Daniel stopped on a dime and immediately turned to face the man sitting across the room from him, jaws clenched and eyes bulging.  
  
"Don't you EVER call me that again, do you hear me? I am NOT your friend, got it?!? I am your superior, not your buddy."  
  
Tom dropped the smirk that had been gracing his face, and slowly stood to face the other man. "You may be my boss, Mr. FBI Director, but you are certainly NOT my superior. Do you understand?? I'm here to do a job, nothing else, and further more, I'm sick and tired of hearing your crap. You got a problem with that, I suggest you find yourself another hired gun." Tom then turned heel and headed into the kitchen, hoping like hell that Donovan left at least one beer in the house.  
  
  
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Jake and Alex had been busy. Over the last couple of hours they'd managed to check out just about every place that they knew their boss to haunt. And for all their efforts they'd found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Throughout it all, they'd kept in constant contact with Cody and Monica. Monica had been postulating possible scenarios and Cody had been monitoring any remote camera feeds that he'd been able to tap into around the city. Finally after driving around for what seemed like endless hours, Jake suggested that the four of them get together and discuss the problem face-to-face.  
  
They'd chosen a small park not far from where Frank lived to have their little rendezvous. Monica and Cody were the first to arrive, thankful to be able to leave the surveillance van for at least a short period of time. They both had exited the vehicle and were taking the opportunity to stretch their legs a little. A short time later they saw Jake's Tahoe pull up. The four converged and stood there staring one at the other, unsure of how to proceed.  
  
"This seems weird," Alex offered.  
  
"What does?" Monica asked curiously.  
  
"It's weird working on a case and Donovan not being here to decide what to do next. I mean we're all just standing here because we're used to him leading the way. You know?"  
  
The other three nodded and shuffled their feet knowing that this was a very uncomfortable situation for them all. The man that they'd all come to respect over the past year had now become their target. The hunter had become the hunted.  
  
Jake looked around the circle and realized that he'd have to step up and take charge, a situation that he was not altogether comfortable with. "Alright," he started, "we need to look at this from a new perspective. What have we overlooked? What have we forgotten?"  
  
Monica was the first to speak. "I'm not sure we've forgotten anything Jake. I mean we've looked into every part of Frank's life, at least the parts we know of and we've come up with nothing."  
  
"Right. So what about Katherine's life. What do we know about her that might lead us somewhere."  
  
"Now that is a problem," Cody piped in. "We have no idea what's true or what's been made up about this woman. I'd say we'd be better off sticking to what we know about Donovan."  
  
"I gotta agree there. But her influence could be what helps us find them."  
  
"Uhhh Jake……you want to elaborate on that one," Alex asked confused. Cody and Monica looked on questioningly.  
  
"What I mean is………if it was just Frank we were after, we'd have a pretty good idea about where to start, but with this Katherine thrown in the mix, we need to consider how she's affecting the way he thinks." The other three still just stared at him as perplexed as they had been at the beginning of his sentence.   
  
Jake sighed and tried to figure out how to explain himself. "OK………think back to when we were first put on the case. This woman eluded us for 4.…5.…6 weeks?? She was always thinking ahead of us and always going off in a direction that we hadn't thought of. Like coming to Chicago, for example. Who would have guessed that she'd decide to hide out in one of the most populated cities in the country?"  
  
"I see what you're saying," Monica said. "You're saying that we're still trying to think like Justice Department agents. We need to………God, I hate this term…….think outside the box."  
  
"Exactly. So what would this woman do, if she were on the run alone?" Jake questioned.  
  
"Well," Cody began"……..if we think about what she's done before, we have to consider the possibility that they might be right under our noses."  
  
"Go on," Jake encouraged.  
  
"I just mean that the whole idea behind coming to Chicago was for her to hide in plain sight, right? Maybe that's what they're doing now. Maybe they're someplace that we'd never think to look, or more importantly, maybe they're someplace that we'd never think they'd go."  
  
The four pondered the possibilities. Lost in their own little worlds, they milled around the area wracking their brains trying to think of the obvious. Minutes ticked by and still they'd found no answers. But finally, the silence was broken by three softly spoken words.  
  
"You don't think…….."  
  
"Alex? What is it?" Jake inquired.  
  
"Well……….I was just thinking about all the places that I would try to avoid if I were in their shoes. You know……..police stations……..my apartment, places like that, and that's when it hit me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"What about the Nest?"  
  
The four stared at each other in disbelief. The answer had been so obvious. But was it too obvious?  
  
"Well," Jake began, "there's only one way to find out. Let's roll. And if they are there, hopefully no one else has figured it out."  
  
Jake and Alex were the first to pull away followed closely by Cody and Monica in the van. After the vehicles were out of sight, a man in a black suit stepped out from behind a nearby tree staring intently at the taillights that were fading into the distance. He pulled out a cell phone and placed a call.  
  
"Lindford," the man on the other end of the line answered.  
  
"We got them."  
  
  
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	19. Chapter Nineteen

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
  
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We're coming down to the homestretch here, boys and girls. Be prepared for a few twists and turns along the way! *wink*  
  
And as always………THANK YOU for the very thoughtful reviews!!!!!  
  
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Frank stood by the window and peered out for the hundredth time. The bright afternoon sunshine had given way to evening's dusk and as the last vestiges of light crept beneath the horizon, Frank's nervousness began to escalate. Exponentially. He couldn't explain it. He had no concrete reason to believe that they were in any immediate danger, but his instincts were screaming that something terrible was approaching.   
  
He'd spent what was left of the afternoon and early evening pacing the warehouse, running possible scenarios through his head. He was fairly sure that he'd covered all the bases, but if he knew one thing about this business, it was that you always had to expect the unexpected. The dilemma was that sometimes you couldn't react to trouble until it was staring you directly in the face.   
  
So here he stood, gazing out at the creeping darkness trying to mentally prepare for whatever the next day or two would bring. He sighed softly and turned to look at the woman sleeping peacefully on the couch across the room from him. When he hadn't been walking back and forth throughout the building, he'd been content to merely watch her as she slumbered. He'd promised to wake after a few hours but she seemed so serene, that he had decided to let her sleep longer than was probably prudent. He knew that she needed the rest. If he'd been in her situation, he wouldn't have been able to sleep well either. Some of her exhaustion could be blamed squarely on him. During the nights that he would visit her, to say that they got little or no sleep, would have been an understatement. He smiled thinking about the endless hours that they'd made love.   
  
"What are you smiling at?" she asked in a sleepy voice.  
  
Frank started a bit, not realizing that she'd awoken. "I was just thinking."  
  
"About??" she continued as she slowly rose from the couch, stretching as she did so.  
  
"About you."  
  
Kate approached him and gave him her best sultry smile. "Hmmmm………now that sounds promising. What about me?" she questioned as she wound her arms around his neck.  
  
Frank ran his hands lightly up and down her back and stared down into her still sleepy eyes. "Everything……….I was remembering everything about you. How I feel like I'm drowning when I look into your eyes. How silky your skin feels when you're lying in bed next to me. How soft and warm your lips are when they meet mine. How your whole face lights up when you smile. But mostly………..I was thinking about how I never want to live another day without you."  
  
Kate gazed into his eyes and wondered, not for the first time since they'd met, how she'd gotten so lucky. Her heart felt like it was swelling to near bursting with all that she felt for him. Tears once again threatened to fall, but she willed them not to. She'd cried enough over the last week or so. She was tired of crying. She wanted to get through whatever was soon going to happen and then concentrate on a future that she'd never dared let herself hope for. A future that included the man she now held in her arms. Then, as if they had a will of their own, the tears that she'd been trying desperately not to shed, began to fall.  
  
"God damn it," she quietly said.  
  
"Not exactly the response I was hoping to get," he responded playfully.  
  
"I'm crying again! Why do I feel like I've spent half of the short time that I've known you, crying??" she asked as she fervently wiped the moisture from her face.  
  
"It's alright. I take it as a compliment."  
  
She looked up at Frank with a confused look on her face. "Compliment? How's that?"  
  
"Considering your background, both personal and professional, I would've expected you to be distant, keeping any feelings you had to a minimum and most importantly to yourself. The fact that you respond so openly when you're around me, just makes me realize that you feel comfortable with me. The façade is gone and the woman in front of me is the real Kate Dawson."  
  
"Wow. You really are good at this psychoanalyzing thing. I think you could have a bright future as a profiler."  
  
"I thought you said I had a promising future in stealing cars?"  
  
Kate laughed briefly and then said, "You're right. Make that auto thief slash criminal behavior analyst, how's that?"  
  
"Nah………I don't think all of that would fit on a business card."  
  
Kate laughed once again and then leaned in to give Frank a quick kiss on the lips before wrapping her arms snuggly around him. Just as she was melting into his embrace, the phone rang. Startled, the two jumped away from each other and stared at the offending object making the sound.  
  
Kate glanced briefly at Frank trying to gauge his reaction. He continued to intently stare at the phone, which rang only three times and then stopped.  
  
"Answering machine? Voice mail?"  
  
"No…….neither," he answered quickly. Then just as he replied to her, the phone began to ring once again. This time it sounded four times before stopping.  
  
Frank turned quickly to the window looking out at the alleyway below. His gut instinct was telling him to move, and this time he was planning on listening.  
He ducked quickly below the window and then began scrambling for the door leading to the lower level.  
  
"We have to go…….now!" he hissed at her.  
  
"Frank? What's out there?" she asked quietly as she followed him out the doorway.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I'm not about to just sit here and find out. We need to get out of the building immediately."  
  
They made their way to the bottom floor and when they were within 15 feet of the exit, Frank suddenly stopped with Kate nearly running into the back of him.  
  
"What is it?" she questioned just barely louder than a whisper.  
  
"Sssshhh……..," he instructed as he listened intently. He turned suddenly, grabbed her hand and headed toward the back of the building.   
  
"Someone's outside the font door," he informed her.  
  
There was a back door, but Frank was assuming that if someone was trying to gain access through the front, they might have the rear exit covered as well. He stopped once again, this time in front of a bank of windows. He hesitated briefly before picking up a chair that was close by. As he did so, he heard the sound of someone trying to open the front door. Without hesitating further, Frank swung the chair and smashed the window sending shards of glass flying everywhere.  
  
Kate had realized what he was about to do and had scrambled back out of the way. After the window was broken out, she saw him make quick work of the remaining pieces along the lower edge, effectively clearing the way for them to make their way out without getting scratched up.   
  
Turning to Kate, Frank motioned for her to climb out the window. "Quickly," he told her quietly, "and be careful. There's glass everywhere." She nodded in response and swiftly hurtled the windowsill. After glancing over his shoulder once more, Frank rapidly followed her.   
  
Once outside, he grabbed her hand and the two made a quick dash down the alley toward one of the many warehouses and office buildings in the area. Hearing another noise, Frank grabbed Kate and hauled her back into the darkness provided by recessed doorway. Listening intently, the two could hear muffled voices coming from close by. Frank turned around and studied the door in front of him. There was a heavy dead bolt lock but no evidence of an alarm system that he could see.   
  
"Keep an eye out while I try to open this door," he whispered to Kate who nodded quickly in response. He then took a set of tools out of his jacket pocket and proceeded to try and pick the lock.   
  
Kate kept her eyes peeled to the darkened alley. She could still hear some barely audible sounds, but she couldn't tell what direction they were coming from since the sounds were being bounced off the buildings. A she peered into the barely lit street, she thought she saw some sort of movement. A person or persons passing in front of a nearby light source casting a shadow on the wall.  
  
"Frank" she whispered, "they're coming! You better hurry!" As she did so, she heard a sound come from behind her and realized that Frank had indeed been able to open the door. He took hold of her arm and swiftly pulled her through the door, shutting it behind them.  
  
Locking the door behind them, the two turned to survey the building that they'd just forcibly entered. It was another abandoned structure, probably an old manufacturing warehouse much like the one that the team now used as their headquarters except much larger. Much of the space was completely empty save some old machinery of some sort that had no doubt been discarded when the business had shut down. There were three levels all together, the bottom one being below the level of the street, with the center of the building actually being open from bottom to top. The two milled around examining the area, trying to find an adequate area to hide out if need be.  
  
After checking the place out and making some mental plans, Frank crossed to the windows facing the alley that they had just exited. Although it was very dark and the windows were extremely filthy, he could still see enough to detect movement headed their way. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell who was approaching.   
  
"Do you see anything?" Kate asked as she sidled up behind him.  
  
"Not really. Movement, nothing more."  
  
"Any idea who it is?" she questioned nervously.  
  
"No. And that's the main problem right now. If it's the team, then we might have a chance, but if it's anyone else……..," he informed her, letting the last part of the sentence linger in the air, the meaning implicit.   
  
"Do you think that whoever it is saw us come in here?"  
  
Frank paused before answering. "I doubt it. If they had, they'd probably have a battering ram at the door as we speak. But if they had seen us, they might be planning how best to breach the building, or……..they could be waiting for enough back-up."  
  
"OK, I like the first scenario better." Frank glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze out the window. In the dark he reached out for her hand and squeezed it lightly.  
  
"It's going to be OK, you just have……….."  
  
"To trust you?" she interrupted. "Really Donovan. We're going to have to get you a new catch phrase. You're wearing that one out."   
  
  
/////////////////////////////////  
  
  
  
15 minutes earlier  
  
  
Jake and Alex had been the first to arrive at the Nest. They had parked Jake's truck about a block away and walked the remaining distance. From what they could tell on the outside, the building looked exactly as it should, completely empty. No lights were on except those that came on automatically at dusk. Shortly after they made their way to the building, they saw a flash of lights causing the two to draw their weapons and hide behind the nearest structure they could find. They quickly realized that what they had seen was the headlights from the surveillance van pulling into the alley. They waited for the other two agents to approach.  
  
"Damn it, Cody! I told you to turn the lights off BEFORE you pulled onto the street!" Jake hissed.  
  
"Sorry!" the tech-op replied. "You try pulling that thing into a dark alley blind! It was either leave the lights on for a few more seconds or I take a chance at running the damn thing into a wall."  
  
"Will the two of you cut it out!" Alex interjected. "In case you don't remember, we're here for a purpose. So, now that we're here, what's the plan?"  
  
All heads turned to look at Jake as it seemed that he was now the temporary head of the unit. "First of all, we're not 100% sure that they're in there. But if they are, if we simply go in through the front door, we may come off as being not much of a threat."  
  
"Soooo……..we're just going to walk in the front door and ask them to surrender to us. That's the plan?" Cody asked sarcastically.   
  
"Look……..you gotta better idea? If so, I'm all ears. All I'm saying is that you've got two very dangerous individuals in there. If we go in guns blazing, somebody's liable to get shot, and I'll lay bets that it'll be one of the four of us. You wanna take your chances?"  
  
Cody looked around at the other three agents and finally replied, "I see your point."  
  
"Good. So here's the plan. I'll go in the front with Monica. Alex, you and Cody cover the back exit. Questions?" Everyone shook their heads, so they dispersed and took their positions.   
  
"Alex?" Jake asked through the mic around his ear.  
  
"Yeah. We're in position."  
  
"Alright, we're going in."  
  
Jake then proceeded to punch in the access code to turn off the alarm and after doing so unlocked the door. Just as he had his hand on the door and was ready to open it, they all heard the sound of breaking glass. A sound that came from inside the building.  
  
"Shit!! OK, enter the building but be careful!! Call out if you see anything."   
  
The four entered quickly but cautiously, searching left and right making sure that the broken window wasn't just a ruse. After a few minutes it became evident that they had indeed fled.  
  
"Damn it! Alright, let's investigate the area. Check every door and building in the area, and I'll say it again, be careful. If you see anything, wait until the rest of us catch up before pursuing."  
  
"Right," Alex replied. "Cody stick with me."  
  
So the team split in two and started to comb the area. They tried every door and peered through every window, and they continued to find nothing.   
  
"Alex."  
  
"Yeah. Go ahead Jake."  
  
"Monica and I are going to start back at the Nest and retrace our footsteps. We're going to make sure we didn't miss anything."  
  
"Got it. Be careful."  
  
So Jake and Monica did indeed start again from where the window had been broken. After several minutes, Monica spotted something on the ground.  
  
"Jake. Over here." Jake turned and found Monica hunched down on the ground intently studying something.  
  
"What do you have?"  
  
"Look at this," she said pointing to a spot on the ground. Jake joined her and stared keenly at the place where she was pointing. At first he couldn't make out what it was. Then he shifted position, giving the area some more light. That's when he saw it. Blood. One of the two must have been cut by the window glass.  
  
He looked up at Monica and communicated wordlessly what their next step would be, and that was to search the area looking for more of the same. They both rose and started searching the ground around the area. A few feet away, Jake found another blood stain and then another. The smattering of blood was like following a trail of bread crumbs and the trail was leading to an abandoned warehouse not more than 50 feet away.  
  
"Monica. Over here." He waited for the profiler to join him. "The blood leads in this direction. They have to be in this building. Let's search the outside and see if there's another entrance." She nodded her head in agreement and the two headed off.  
  
"Alex."  
  
"Go ahead Jake."  
  
"We found where they went. They're hiding out in an abandoned building to the north of the Nest. We're searching the outside for another entry point."  
  
"Understood. We'll be there in a couple of minutes."  
  
Jake and Monica walked around the outside of the building looking for another entrance and could find none. If Donovan and Katherine were indeed in the building, Jake had no doubt that they would be closely guarding the entryway. Frustrated, he joined Monica once more.  
  
"There has to be another way in," he stated. "You don't build a structure this size and have only one doorway."  
  
"Actually," she began, "they did used to build them this way. This place probably dates back to the 30's or so. They weren't too concerned about health and safety back then. In fact the owners probably preferred having only one door. That way they could more closely monitor their employees coming and going. That way no one could sneak out or in without the boss knowing about it."  
  
"Nice. That certainly makes it hard as hell for us." Jake once again eyed the building this time looking for something out of the ordinary. After a moment or two he noticed an open window about 8 feet off the ground near the back of the building. He quickly scanned the area and found an old wood crate that was about 2 feet high. It wasn't much, he surmised, but it would have to be enough. He pulled it over and placed it below the window.  
  
"What do you think you're going to do?" Monica questioned.  
  
"I'm going through that window."  
  
"Alone? I don't think so. Wait for backup or at least wait until I find something taller so that I can go in with you, because I'll never be able to reach the window just standing on that box."  
  
Jake looked at her and said, "There's no time Mon, we gotta get in there now. It's just a matter of time before someone else traces them back here. Wait here for Alex and Cody then the three of you can make your way in." And before Monica could protest, Jake bounded up on top of the box and then jumped the remaining few inches to grab hold of the windowsill. He then pulled himself up until most of his body weight was resting on the ledge. He paused briefly to take a look inside making sure that he wouldn't be facing down the barrel of a gun. When he saw nothing he proceeded quickly and as quietly as possible to lever himself over and into the building, dropping down on the floor with ease. After touching down, he turned, still in a crouched position, and surveyed the area. The place was dimly lit, so it took a moment or two for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he looked around and saw nothing. If they were still here, he doubted they were on the main floor. Slowly he stood, drew his weapon and proceeded to make his way further in.  
  
"Alex," Monica called over her mic, "You better hurry, Jake's decided to go in by himself."  
  
"Shit. We're just about there. Hang on."  
  
  
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About the time Jake was landing inside the abandoned warehouse, Director Lindford and his band of goons were arriving at the Nest. Thanks to the tail they'd put on Jake, they now had a good idea about where to look for Donovan and Katherine.  
  
After exiting the vehicles, Lindford gave orders for the Nest to be searched while he, of course, stayed out of harm's way. He remained near the cars and was annoyed to notice that Tom had decided to stay along with him.  
  
"Why don't you go in there and search too," he told the CIA assassin.  
  
Tom gave him a smirk and said, "You really think Frank's just cowering in there waiting to be picked up? Good Lord! Even if he had still been in the building when we arrived, he's long gone now. You and your men pulled straight up to the front door, lights on and all, and you really thought he wouldn't notice?"  
  
Daniel clenched his jaws together tightly trying to maintain whatever shreds of self control he had remaining. "Fine. What exactly are you waiting for anyway? You're assignment is to take out Frank Donovan. So why are you still here?"  
  
Tom stared at the man for several long minutes and was pleased to see him getting uncomfortable. "In answer to your question. I'll do my job. Don't worry about that. When the time comes and not a second before." Daniel turned away quickly deciding it was best just to ignore the man.   
  
Just then a couple of his men exited the building. "We found a broken window and nothing else. If they were here then that's the way they got out."  
  
"Search the area. Alert me the second you've found anything." The man nodded and relayed the order to the others.   
  
  
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Jake inched his way into the old factory, gun held high, senses on full alert. As soundlessly as possible he continued forward until some movement caught his eye. He quickly retreated into the shadows and peered at what had captured his attention. Whatever it was had been on the third level. Since the middle of the building was open, he could see up to that floor. It was then that he spotted Frank slowly making his way along the upstairs, gun in hand intently staring out the upper windows at the outside. After watching for a few minutes, Jake deduced that his whole attention was on what was happening out there and was paying little or no attention to what was occurring inside. The next question, of course, was where was Katherine.  
  
Jake skimmed around the outside of the perimeter on the second level always mindful of where Frank was. After completing the round, he knew for sure that she was not on the main level. Having kept Frank in sight the whole time, Jake could only deduce that Katherine was on the bottom floor. He slowly made his way to the stairs that led downstairs. He descended the stairs which thankfully were enclosed and not open metal grating. If that had been the case he would have never been able to make it to the bottom floor undetected. After several tense minutes, he finally set foot on the lower level. The light was almost nonexistent there and he knew that Katherine would have him at a distinct disadvantage, so he stopped once again and allowed his eyes to adjust. As he paused, he thought he heard a sound, but for the life of him he couldn't tell what direction it was coming from. Because the old building was so empty, the sounds tended to reverberate. He cocked his head and waited for anything further. He did hear something else and was fairly sure this time that it was coming from one of the upper levels. After a few seconds he could hear Frank descending the upper level steps heading for the main floor.  
  
The sound caught not only Jake's attention but Kate's as well. When she heard Frank move, obviously responding to whatever had been heard earlier, she stepped out of the deep shadows that had originally hidden her away. It was then that Jake spotted her.  
  
He moved away from the stairs and pointed his gun directly at Kate who noticed him a fraction of a second too late. She began to raise her own weapon, but Jake made it very clear that if she did so, he'd have no trouble shooting her.   
  
"Put your gun down," he commanded.  
  
"Jake……look……we can talk about this. Just……just give me a chance to explain," she pleaded.  
  
"Explain?? Don't you mean you want to poison my mind just like you've done to Frank?? Hmmmm……….it's all lies Katherine, and you know it. I don't know how you managed to persuade him, but I'm not falling for it. So put your gun down before anyone gets hurt."  
  
Frank had just made it to the main floor when he heard Jake's voice. And once again, because of the acoustics of the structure, he couldn't tell where he was. But when he heard Kate's voice answering him he knew that they were both on the bottom floor. He quickly made his way to the stairs leading to that level.   
  
When Jake heard Frank at the top of the stairs, he started to inch his way around so that he was facing the stairwell and Kate had her back to it. And that's how Frank found them when he reached the last tread on the stair.  
  
"Jake……don't do this," Frank tried to reason with the other agent. "You don't know all the facts. Let us explain."  
  
"I've heard it all Frank. You may have fallen for it, but I'm not. I'm taking her in. Period."  
  
"Frank???" Kate pleaded. "You can't let him take me. They'll kill me Frank……I know they will."  
  
"Shut up Katherine!! It's over! Don't you get it!" Jake yelled. "There are Federal agents surrounding this building as we speak. There is no way out!"   
  
Kate had had enough, she raised her gun and pointed it directly at Jake. The movement had been so swift that Jake didn't have time to respond before she had her weapon trained on him. The two stood face to face some ten paces apart guns drawn and both ready to shoot. Frank watched in agony as the two faced off. He desperately wanted to protect the woman that he loved but he also couldn't allow Kate to shoot Jake.  
  
As the stand-off continued, the other agents, Alex , Monica and Cody included, finally made their way into the building. They could all hear voices, but it took a few moments to focus on where they were coming from. Several agents made their way around so that they had the three in sight from their vantage point on the main floor. Alex was one of those agents as was Tom. Daniel moved in behind them and surveyed the scene.  
  
"Shoot them," Daniel commanded.  
  
"No!" Tom quickly said to the others. "If you shoot Katherine, she's likely to take Jake down with her. No……let's wait to see how this plays out. Jake may be able to take care of it for us."  
  
"What about Donovan?" Daniel hissed at Tom.  
  
"Donovan's my problem. I told you I'd do my job."  
  
Alex watched the exchange between the two men and wondered what they were talking about. She'd met Tom before but had no idea what his position was. The only thing she knew was that he was CIA.   
  
Back on the bottom floor, the tension was escalating quickly. All three had heard the others enter the building just shortly before and knowing that fact had only made things go from bad to worse.  
  
Frank watched as Kate seemed to be falling apart before his eyes. Her hand seemed to be shaking and he swore he could see her whole body tremble.  
  
"Katherine," Jake tried to reason once more, "put the gun down………if you put it down, we all can walk out of here. If you shoot…….then there are at least four or five agents ready to take you out."  
  
Kate laughed almost hysterically. "Don't you get it Jake?? I'm dead either way! Do you really think that they're going to just let me walk away?"  
  
"Katie…….listen to me….please," Frank began, "shooting Jake is only going to make it worse. He's right. There's no way out. Please put down the gun."  
  
"We can make it Frank," she said in a trembling voice. "We just need to get out of here. But he's not going to let that happen. If we get out, we can run away somewhere………somewhere safe………..somewhere they can't find us."  
  
"Katie………there is nowhere to run. It's over, baby. Put the gun down……..please don't do this."  
  
"I won't let them take me Frank!! I can't!! Don't you get it?? Jake's the only one standing in the way! If he hadn't found us…….he's the reason this is happening, don't you see that?!?!" Kate was nearly shrieking now, coming completely unhinged, the gun wavering wildly in her hand. Suddenly she seemed to regain control and pointed the gun directly at Jake's chest intent on firing. In the cavernous interior of the building a single shot rang out.  
  
All who witnessed the occurrence stood in shock as Kate slowly fell to her knees staring blindly at Jake as blood began to pour from her open mouth. She collapsed face first to the factory floor and Jake slowly raised his eyes to Frank and stared in shock at the man as he held the smoking gun in his hand. Frank slowly lowered his weapon and with the gun hanging limply from the hand at his side he slowly backed away and stopped only when his back met the cold concrete wall. He slowly sank to the floor, knees drawn up before him and continued to stare at Kate's now lifeless body. His eyes were wide, his face devoid of any emotion other than shock.  
  
Jake continued to watch Frank, still shaken by what had just occurred. He'd seen the look in Kate's eyes just milliseconds before Frank had fired and in that space of time, he knew that she was going to kill him. But instead here he stood staring at her lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. He approached her and knelt briefly at her side reaching out to feel for a pulse at the side of her neck. There was none. Frank had saved his life and in turn had sacrificed the woman that he loved.  
  
  
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Next chapter: Repercussions   
  
  
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	20. Chapter Twenty

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Twenty  
  
  
  
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Sorry it's taken so long to update! Real life just seems to keep getting in the way! LOL One more time………….thank you so much for the kind and thoughtful reviews!!   
  
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Time seemed to have stopped in the abandoned factory. No one moved and hardly a sound could be heard. Those present simply stared in shock at what had played out before them. Kate was dead, laying face down in a pool of her own blood. Jake stood a few paces away from her, gaping at the man who had saved his life. And Frank…….well Frank sat against the wall looking for all intents and purposes like a man who had just lost his will to live. His eyes stared listlessly at Kate's motionless body, his shoulders were slumped and his hand still barely held onto the weapon that had taken her life just moments before.   
  
Even in the dim light, Jake could clearly see Frank's face. He'd seen his boss angry, upset, disgusted, even anguished but what he was witnessing now could be described as none of those things. His face displayed no emotion at all and that fact alone scared the hell out of Jake. He suddenly became very wary of the fact that Frank still held onto his gun. He wasn't afraid for his own life, but a fleeting notion entered his brain. What if Frank tried to take his own life? The idea would have seemed absurd to him not even five minutes ago, but, then again, so much had changed in that span of time.  
  
Jake approached Frank cautiously, deliberately taking slow and easy steps, trying to avoid any sudden movements. "Frank?" he said quietly as he neared him. Frank still stared blankly ahead, his sight never deviating from the woman lying before him.   
  
"Frank? It's me……..Jake. Can you hear me?" The question seemed ridiculous, but given the circumstances and Frank's apparent state maybe a little less so. Frank still did not acknowledge him but something in his eyes led Jake to believe that he was slowly getting through.  
  
"Frank? How about we get you out of here. Maybe head back to the Nest."  
  
"No," Frank replied succinctly. The word was spoken barely above a whisper but the impact of the word led Jake to believe that there would be little room to compromise.  
  
"Frank. Why don't you hand me your gun." At that Frank finally pulled his eyes away from Kate and turned his gaze to the man hunched down before him. Frank looked into his eyes and what Jake saw there nearly stopped his heart. This once strong, domineering man looked utterly defeated. His eyes pleaded with Jake, for what he didn't know.  
  
"Can you hand me your gun?" Jake asked once again. Frank looked down at the object in his hand and seemed to only now realize what it was that he still held on to. He lifted the weapon and presented it to Jake as if it were a foreign object, an object to be hated and feared. Jake took the gun and slid it into his jacket pocket after re-engaging the safety.  
  
Jake then stood and finally looked up at the people that he knew to be on the second level. He caught Monica's eye and motioned for her to come down to the bottom floor. Maybe she could help talk Frank through the pain and shock that Jake could only imagine.  
  
Monica descended the remaining steps and walked lightly over to the two men. Frank had once again resumed his blank stare and Jake turned away from him momentarily in order to have a word with the profiler.  
  
"Do what you can, Monica. Try to get him to come back to the Nest with us." She nodded in response then approached Frank. Jake walked away from the two and made his way up the stairs cautiously approaching the remainder of the group. Alex and Cody still appeared to be blown away by the evening's events. Director Lindford seemed to be fuming about something. And Tom stood back away from the bulk of the faction and Jake noticed that his eyes never left the FBI director.  
  
"Cody," Jake said quietly, "will you call for an ambulance." Jake then turned briefly and gazed down at Frank, who remained stone still while Monica attempted to communicate with him. "Actually……….you better make that two squads." Cody blinked a few times before finally realizing that Jake was addressing him. Then he finally responded.  
  
"Ummmm………..yeah. I'll do that right now."  
  
"No need," Tom stated as he approached. "I've already called them. They should be here in fifteen."  
  
"Thomas," Daniel nearly hissed. "May I have a word with you………..privately."  
  
Tom scowled at the sound of the man's voice. He barely turned in his direction before answering. "What do you want?"  
  
Daniel's eyes nearly bugged out of his head and his face flushed with anger. "I said…..I need to speak with you privately……….NOW!"  
  
Tom looked quickly at Jake before turning to join the other man who had stalked away from the remaining agents.  
  
"Alright……..I'll repeat my question," Tom began. "What do you want?"  
  
"Haven't you forgotten something?" Daniel asked sarcastically.  
  
Tom pretended to ponder the question for a brief moment before replying in a mocking tone, "No……no, I don't think so."  
  
"Donovan, you idiot!" he murmured condescendingly.  
  
Again Tom feigned ignorance while looking toward the man that he could still see sitting on the cold concrete on the floor below. "Yep…..he's right there, but I don't think he's up to having a word with you right now."  
  
Daniel narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists before responding in a nearly inaudible voice. "Have you totally forgotten your purpose here? Your assignment was to take out Agent Donovan, and judging by the fact that the man still seems to be breathing, I'd say you have work to do."  
  
Tom stared at the man standing before him in disbelief. "In case you haven't noticed, Mr. FBI Director, there are quite a number of other agents in the vicinity, not to mention his own team. Do you really think they won't notice if I take out my gun and shoot the man dead? Are you really that much of an idiot? And if so, how the hell did you rise to your position at the Bureau? And as for Frank Donovan………look at the man! I mean really look at him! He's destroyed. Finished. It's over. Killing him now would be pointless, or don't you see that?"  
  
Daniel stood there seething throughout Tom's tirade. If he could have gotten away with it, he would have pulled his own weapon out and shot the man dead himself. He just wasn't sure which to start with, Frank or Tom? Suddenly turning, he faced Jake.  
  
"Agent Shaw………I want you to place Agent Donovan under arrest."   
  
Jake stared blankly back at him before responding, "Excuse me? Did you just ask me to put my boss under arrest?"  
  
"No, Agent Shaw, I asked you to take a presumed felon into custody."  
  
Jake glanced back and forth between Daniel, Tom and the remaining team members, but before he could respond, Tom interrupted.  
  
"Ignore that order Jake." Daniel spun around to face the CIA agent.   
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I told Agent Shaw to ignore your order," Tom answered matter of factly.  
  
"And who the hell do you think you are to countermand one of my orders??"  
  
Tom paced closer to the FBI director and stopped when he was within a foot of the man. Looking him directly in the eye, he stated in a low, but clearly audible voice, "I'm the man that's going to make sure that you're locked away for a good long time."  
  
"What the hell……….."  
  
"Agent Shaw……..arrest Director Lindford on charges of attempting to have a federal agent killed." Daniel's eyes flew open wide and his mouth dropped open.  
  
"Are you insane?? You can't have me arrested! Agent Shaw, you have your orders! Obviously Thomas is having some sort of breakdown, spouting such ridiculous tripe!" Daniel then turned to see that Jake hadn't moved an inch but remained staring at him incredulously. "Agent Shaw! I repeat, carry out your orders!!" Jake stayed put and slowly looked back and forth between Tom and Daniel. Daniel Lindford was clearly teetering on the edge. Face flushed, eyes darting around wildly. Tom on the other hand looked to be a man in complete control. He returned Jake's gaze with confidence and……..something else………triumph?   
  
After a few more moments, Jake approached Daniel and said, "Turn over your weapon……..now." Daniel's mouth gaped open.   
  
"Agent Shaw," Daniel began slowly, "Thomas here is clearly suffering from the effects of what has happened this evening. I would suggest that you complete the orders that I previously gave you. Take Agent Donovan into custody."  
  
Jake didn't even hesitate this time before responding, "I don't think so. Hand over your weapon, or we'll have no choice but to take it from you forcibly."   
  
Daniel began to back away from Jake while at the same time starting to reach under his suit jacket, but he was suddenly stopped when Alex moved her hand over the top of his and quickly relieved him of the gun holstered at his side. He reeled swiftly around and faced her. He began to turn in circles facing one agent after another all of whom had effectively trapped him. He spun to face Tom once more.  
  
"Your career is over," he threatened. "No one will ever believe whatever nonsense you're spouting. Don't you see that?? You have the audacity to accuse me of attempting to have an agent killed. What agent? I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!!"  
  
"Really?" Tom replied calmly. "Oh…….I think you do. But just in case you need your memory refreshed, perhaps this will help." And out of a jacket pocket, Tom pulled out a small cassette recorder. He turned the volume up on it and hit play.  
  
Daniel stared at the offending machine in horror as it played back the conversation he had had with Tom just minutes earlier, and when he heard his own voice relaying the order to have Donovan killed, Daniel visibly blanched and his eyes shut tight trying to block out any further input.  
  
"And if that's not enough, I also recorded the phone conversation we had just a few days ago when you issued the order originally. Care to hear that one too?" Tom asked condescendingly. Daniel stood stock still for several moments and when he finally opened his eyes, Tom saw the gears turning behind them.   
  
"Tom," Daniel began rather calmly, too calmly perhaps. "I think you may have forgotten a very important point here, these gentlemen………," he stated pointing to the ten agents who had arrived with them, "……..work for me." Tom looked rather casually at the other agents present, before returning his gaze to the Director,  
  
"Yeah……..about that………I don't think so."  
  
"You don't think so, what?" Daniel asked clearly irritated.  
  
"Well………it seems that they don't work for you. You forget that the Company has operatives everywhere. Places you never thought of. These men are under my orders………not yours." Daniel looked at Tom in disbelief. He was trapped. Tom had just shut the door on his last hope of escape.  
  
Tom looked at the man in front of him and saw the light of indignation begin to fade from behind his eyes. Once again, he turned to Jake.  
  
"I think Director Lindford is ready to be taken into custody now. Would you see that he's placed under proper arrest? And then these men will make sure that he's taken to the proper authorities." Jake nodded almost numbly in reply. Walking up to Daniel he placed his hand on his arm and began to lead him to the waiting cars outside, followed by most of the remaining agents.   
  
While Jake was escorting the FBI Director outside, Tom turned back toward the overlook to the bottom floor. He could see that Frank hadn't moved an inch and that Monica was now also sitting on the floor trying to talk to him. Tom knew that at this moment, reason was the last thing that Frank Donovan could, or would be willing to, listen to.   
  
"Do you think he's going to be alright?" Alex asked softly joining him. Tom glanced at her and could see real concern in her eyes. His gaze drifted to Cody who stood beside her and he too seemed distraught over everything that he had witnessed.  
  
"I don't know, Alex," he answered, "I honestly don't know."  
  
"I can't believe he shot her. I mean they seemed……..he seemed to care for her so much. He had willingly risked everything to protect her, and now…….this. How could he do that?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"Alex, I don't know what to tell you, but consider this. He was faced with an impossible decision. The woman that he loved was about to shoot a member of his team, someone who's life he was responsible for. He had two choices……..either let Kate shoot Jake or remove the threat entirely. And there was only one way to do that. With as keyed up as she apparently was, if Frank had simply tried to wound her, she would almost certainly have followed through on taking Jake out." Tom faced Alex and Cody and let the importance of his words sink in. He watched as they both continued to stare at their boss, the shock now giving way to sympathy and sadness.   
  
Jake once again entered the abandoned factory and approached the three as they stood by the railing. "Lindford's on his way back to DC," he reported. "The other agents will make sure that he gets there safe and sound." Tom nodded in acknowledgement.   
  
"There is one more thing," Tom began, "the ambulance will be here soon, when it arrives, I want you to get Frank out of here. If I know him, he's going to insist on going with her, so do what you can to make sure that doesn't happen."  
  
The four agents stared at him uncomprehendingly. "If he goes with her, there are going to be one too many questions asked. Know what I mean? At some point, some official is going to ask how she got shot. And with Frank in this state, he's liable to blurt out that he killed her. Do you understand now? This whole situation is so much more than a man shooting a woman. At least for right now, we have to do what we can to protect him and to cover up all the circumstances that led up to this. The time will come in the not too distant future for answers to be given, but now is not that time." As Tom finished his speech, the sound of distant sirens could now be heard.  
  
"What about Lindford?" Jake asked.  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"What part did he play in all this?"  
  
Tom paused before answering. "Actually…….a very small part. But don't worry. If I know Daniel Lindford, he'll squeal. In fact, he's probably blabbing his head off right now. He'll give up the men he reported to. And they'll give up their bosses, etc. until we run across some patriot who will decide it's better to be a martyr then a rat. We won't eradicate the infection completely, but we'll sure as hell make sure it doesn't come back anytime soon."   
  
The sirens were drawing near and the lights from the ambulance could be seen through the warped and missing windowpanes. Jake motioned for the others to follow him leaving Tom to greet the incoming vehicle.   
  
The four descended the stairs and drew close to Frank and Monica. Jake looked first at Frank and noticed that he appeared to have retreated into some inner world. His eyes were fixed on a single point, although Jake noted that his gaze no longer seemed locked on Kate's lifeless body, but rather on an undetermined spot on the far wall. He then turned his attention to Monica and she looked back at him shaking her head almost imperceptibly, her meaning clear. She'd tried to get through to Frank but had had no luck.   
  
"Alex, will you help me try to get him up?" Jake asked quietly. She nodded her head and moved to the other side of Frank. With one final look between them, they attempted to raise Frank from his sitting position on the floor. Putting their hands under his arms, the two began pulling him to his feet. Surprisingly, he made no effort to fight them, but rather he went along with their gentle urging. Once they had him on his feet, the three began to move toward the staircase. Jake worried that getting him up the stairs might prove difficult, but once there, Frank moved of his own volition although in a slow and sluggish manner. They near the top of the steps when the med team came in with the gurney. Only then did Frank seem to become aware of what was happening around him. He stopped completely, just shy of the second floor landing and stared unblinkingly at the ambulance gurney. Jake watched as Frank tried to process what he was seeing and was disheartened to realize that nothing seemed to be getting through to him. Once more, he and Alex assisted him and after a few seconds Frank relented and reached the second floor.  
  
Tom approached them and said, "Take him back to the warehouse and I'll stop by there after………we've finished up here." The group nodded and started for the exit. One of the EMT's, seeing Frank's condition, came forward.  
  
"Is he alright? Has he been hurt as well?" the man asked concerned.  
  
"No," Jake quickly responded, "he hasn't been hurt, he's just in shock. He was a witness to what happened, and we need to question him further." The man nodded his understanding but still looked toward Frank, noting the empty vacant stare.  
  
"Cody? Will you get one of the cars and pull it into the alley here?" Jake asked.  
  
"You got it. I'll be right back." Cody then quickly exited leaving behind the evening's bizarre proceedings.  
  
Alex and Jake still led Frank slowly toward the exit. Jake noted that Frank's body seemed to be functioning on automatic pilot. His movements were exaggerated and still rather slow. He sighed and looked past Frank to Alex who appeared to have noticed the same. Once outside, they halted Frank's progress and waited for Cody to return with the car.  
  
"Jake, can I talk to you?" Monica questioned.  
  
"Sure Monica, what is it?"  
  
Monica shook her head. "Not here. Let's step away from the others." Jake nodded and followed her a few feet away.  
  
"Jake……..he needs help. We can't just take him back to the Nest and hope for the best. For some reason, I don't think a good night's sleep is gonna solve this. He needs professional help."  
  
"He's got you. You can help him," Jake stated matter of factly.  
  
"I appreciate your faith in me, Jake. But I'm a profiler, not a psychiatrist. He needs therapy and if he doesn't get it soon, he may never come out of this catatonia. Look at him Jake. I bet he doesn't even know where he is."  
  
"I hear ya Monica, but you heard Tom………"  
  
"Yes, I heard Tom, but I'm telling you, we have to think about Donovan and not about the consequences to this investigation. Which is more important Jake? This case or Donovan's health?" Jake eyes her for a few moments and then nodded in agreement.  
  
"You're right, but where should we take him?"  
  
"There's a facility about 10 miles out of town. It's got some of the best doctors around on staff. He'll get the help he needs there."  
  
"OK, I'm just going to let Tom know about the change in plans. Although I'll bet right now, that he won't be happy about it."  
  
"I don't know Jake, he might surprise you. After all, Frank is his friend too, you know." Jake nodded and then re-entered the building.  
  
He found Tom on the staircase overlooking the activities below. The EMT's had already loaded Kate's body onto the gurney and were finishing with their preliminary report.   
  
Tom hear Jake's footsteps and turned toward him. "Is he giving you problems?"  
  
Jake shook his head. "No, he's still pretty much out of it. Going through the motions. No…….we've decided that we need to take him to a hospital. He needs help. This silence isn't good. Especially from a man like Donovan."  
  
Tom looked at the other agent for a few seconds before responding. "You're right. You should take him to a hospital. There's a place a few miles out of town. It's called Brookside. They're supposed to be very good."  
  
Jake nodded in agreement. "That's the place that Monica suggested. As soon as Cody gets back here with one of the cars, that's where we'll head." Jake then turned to head for the door once more.  
  
"Just one more thing Jake." Jake paused and then turned to face Tom again.  
  
"Actually…….make that two things. One…….no one other than the doctors on staff or either you or I gets to talk to him. And two………..make sure they put him on suicide watch." Jake blinked a few times at the statement, but then slowly nodded his head in understanding. He then headed for the door once again. The night had taken a series of bizarre twists and turns. And as one problem seemed to have been solved, although bloodily, still another one seemed to have reared it's ugly head. Director Lindford had been taken into custody and the house of cards that he and his accomplices had built, had begun to tumble down, but in the end, the price had been incredibly high. Kate was dead, and Donovan appeared to have retreated into a world of his own making.   
  
Jake reached the outside and saw Frank standing in the exact same place that he had left him just moments before. The same stance, the same look on his face. He shuddered, not from the cold, but from the fleeting idea that Frank would never recover from what had happened. A sound interrupted his reverie and he turned to see the ambulance personnel exiting with Kate in a body bag firmly strapped to the gurney. Jake involuntarily winced and then turned his attention back to Frank. He observed his boss as his attention slowly settled on the gurney. When Frank made no move toward the ambulance, Jake relaxed a bit.  
  
"Go with her, Jake."   
  
All eyes turned toward Frank, at first not believing that he had truly spoken. Frank then shifted his gaze from the gurney to look directly at Jake. Jake stared back at him and seemed at a loss for what to say.  
  
"Go with her. I……..I don't want her to be alone," Frank said softly, his voice cracking.   
  
"Alright, Frank. I'll go with her. Don't worry. She won't be left alone." Frank seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and then turned his attention once more to Kate's body on the stretcher. Just then, Cody pulled up in one of the cars and hopped out.   
  
"Alex, will you and Cody help with Frank?" Both nodded and moved in to help. As they did so, Jake pulled Monica aside.  
  
"Why me?" he asked simply as soon as they were out of earshot.  
  
Monica sighed and then did her best to explain. "It's not an unusual request. You were there. I mean, right there when Kate died. In fact, you were the last person she saw before she lost her life. Somehow that binds you to her, at least in Donovan's mind. Right now, he's, of course, blaming himself for what happened. In his mind, he's the bad guy. He wants to go with her, but he doesn't think he's worthy enough to. You're the next best thing."  
  
"Jesus!" Jake exclaimed, raking his hand through his hair. "I'm the reason she's dead! If I hadn't confronted her, then he would have never been put in that impossible situation. I mean, he should have let her shoot me. And for the life of me, I don't know why he didn't!" Monica watched as Jake paced back and forth clearly agitated by Frank's request. She knew where his head was. He had survivor's guilt. His life had been as much in the balance as Kate's and by some miracle he had survived instead of her. Monica also knew that in the end, Jake would need therapy just as much as Frank would.  
  
"Jake……….we need to get going. We'll make sure that Donovan gets settled at the facility. You go with Kate. Make sure that she's………taken care of." Jake looked at her momentarily with near panic in his eyes but quickly calmed himself, knowing that his responsibilities had to outweigh any personal feelings, at least for now.  
  
"Right……..I'll be OK. But Monica, Tom said to make sure that Frank only sees the doctors or he and I. Also……..make sure that they know that he could possibly be suicidal." Monica looked equally stunned but she, even more so than most, understood the reasoning behind the order.   
  
The evening had indeed taken a bizarre turn, and Monica sighed knowing that a long road lay ahead of all of them.  
  
  
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	21. Chapter Twentyone

Nowhere To Run  
Chapter Twenty-one  
  
  
  
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for all the kind reviews! This is the second to last chapter. I hope you enjoy!  
  
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Jake pulled into the parking lot of Brookside Psychiatric Hospital. He shut off the motor and sat there for several moments before exiting the vehicle and heading toward the entrance. He was tired. Totally exhausted. The events of the previous twenty-four hours had totally wiped him out. He was amazed at how so much had changed in such a short time. After leaving Kate at the morgue, he'd caught up with Tom. He'd let Jake know that Daniel Lindford had already given up at least one of his other cohorts, Mike Becker, also a FBI Director. They talked for a few minutes about the implications of it all. Tom had been vague about the details but had assured Jake that the men who were responsible would be brought to justice, one way or another. Jake wasn't sure what that meant, but given the circumstances, he figured that it would be anything but public. If the American people found out that Justice Dept. officials were putting contracts out on other JD agents, the shit would definitely hit the fan. And somehow he figured that the powers that be would do anything to keep that from happening. In the end, Jake figured that those decisions would be best left to others. Right now he had enough on his plate. Namely, what was happening with Frank Donovan.  
  
Jake sighed heavily and forced himself to move. Opening the truck's door, he stepped out and made for the rather imposing building that stood before him. The hospital had been built in the rather opulent 1920's. But of course, it had been totally remodeled just 3 years ago. It was now considered state-of-the-art as well as being one of the best in the country. If any satisfaction could be derived from the current situation, it was that Frank would be in the best hands possible. He'd receive all the help that he needed. As he approached the front steps, Jake noticed that the sun would be up very soon. The eastern horizon had already brightened considerably. He glanced at his watch. 6:35AM. Again he was amazed to think that at this very same time yesterday, life had been vastly different. Shaking his head, he put his hand on the door and entered.  
  
He was greeted by a lobby that looked like it belonged more in a four star hotel than a hospital. The space was open and airy as the ceiling reached all the way to the second floor level. A chandelier hung from the ceiling above him and a very large flower arrangement adorned a round oversized wood table that stood directly in the center of the room. Overwhelmed by all of the finery, Jake didn't immediately notice a woman who was making her way to his side.  
  
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked politely with a smile.  
  
Jake turned to view the woman before him. She was very professional looking with an expensive tailored suit and a stylish haircut. She appeared to be in her early 30's and Jake noticed that her nametag read "Robyn -- Registration". He pondered briefly over the fact that "registration" seemed an odd word for being admitted to a mental institution.  
  
"Yes," he answered, "a colleague of mine was brought in late last night. I'd like to know his status."   
  
"Of course, sir. If you'll follow me to the desk, we'll see what we can find out." The woman walked over to the other side of the foyer and sat down behind a large Victorian style desk. She motioned for him to sit at one of the comfy chairs that faced the desk.  
  
"Your colleague's name?"  
  
"Frank Donovan." She typed the name into the computer and after a few seconds a small frown appeared on her face. She read a few more lines on the screen and then eyed Jake warily.  
  
"May I ask your name, sir?"  
  
"Of course, it's Jake Shaw." She once again read what was on the screen.  
  
"Do you have an ID with you?"  
  
"Sure," Jake answered digging his ID and badge out of his jacket pocket. He handed the items over to the girl and watched as she studied them carefully. Once done, her appearance brightened considerably.  
  
"Here you go, Agent Shaw," she said, handing the ID and badge back to him. "When Agent Donovan was admitted last night, we were given strict orders that only certain visitors would be allowed to see him or to have any knowledge of his whereabouts. I hope you understand our caution in this matter."  
  
"Please, don't apologize," Jake answered sincerely, "we need to do everything that we can to protect him."  
  
"Of course. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to where the rest of the agents are waiting."   
  
Jake followed the woman through a series of corridors and doorways. The further they got into the building the less it reminded him of a luxury hotel. By the time they reached their destination, the place definitely had the feel of a regular hospital. The walls were mainly white, the carpeted floor had given way to tile and the doorways now needed a pass key and security code to enter. At last he was led to what could only be described as a typical hospital waiting room. Inside he found Cody asleep on a rather uncomfortable looking couch and Alex and Monica had both propped themselves up in equally uncomfortable chairs.   
  
When the door opened, Alex was immediately awake and practically sprang to her feet. Monica soon followed suit. Cody on the other hand, looked like he'd be able to sleep through anything.   
  
Robyn turned toward the three and said, "One of the doctors on staff will be in to talk with you momentarily. They'll be able to answer any questions that you may have about Agent Donovan's condition. One of the staff will bring by some coffee and pastries for you as well. We only ask that you remain in this room until a member of the staff can escort you out. If you need to leave before they arrive, please use the phone on the wall to contact the front desk. Can I answer any other questions for you at this time?"   
  
"No, I don't think so. Thank you for your help," Jake replied. The woman smiled politely and then left the four alone.  
  
"So…….have you heard anything yet?" Jake asked anxiously.  
  
Alex shook her head. "Not a thing. We arrived here a little after 1AM. They took him away in a wheelchair and then they escorted us here. Another member of the staff arrived a few minutes later. They asked us ten thousand questions. We answered as best we could. Then we informed them of the extra security precautions that would be needed. They asked a few more dozen questions and then said that someone would be with us in a while. That was nearly 5 hours ago." Jake nodded his head in understanding and then moved to sit on one of the chairs in the waiting area. He scrubbed his hands over his face hoping that the movement would somehow help to wake him up.  
  
Monica sat across from him and studied him for a few seconds. "How are you holding up?" she finally asked. Jake looked up at her incredulously.  
  
"How am I holding up? You gotta be kidding me, right? How do you think I am? The world has been turned upside down in the period of twenty-four hours. The people that we thought we could trust ended up being the bad guys. A woman was shot and killed right before my eyes. A man that I've come to admire and trust killed her to save me and now he's in a mental hospital having some sort of breakdown. So tell me……..exactly how should I be holding up, Monica?"   
  
"Jake!" Alex interjected. "You want to take it easy! She was just asking you a question."  
  
Monica held up her hand to stop Alex. "No…….he's right. It was a stupid question. I think all of us are feeling a little unsettled right now. We're tired, angry, disillusioned, and worried. We just gotta remember that we're all we have right now."  
  
Jake sighed and closed his eyes knowing that she was right. "I'm sorry Mon. Really. I had no right to talk to you like that. I am tired. More tired than I think I've ever felt in my life. And it's not just physical exhaustion. I just feel mentally drained. Know what I mean?"  
  
Monica nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. I think we'll all feel a lot better once we know that Donovan's going to be OK. I think it was just shock. And if that's the case then it should be wearing off soon."   
  
"What if………," Alex began but then paused.  
  
"What if…..what?" Jake inquired. He watched as his partner nervously chewed her bottom lip.   
  
Alex looked at first Jake and then Monica. She even gave a cursory glance at Cody. "What if it's not just shock? I mean what if he's…….you know…….really lost it?" The three looked from one to the other, but no one answered the question as each was lost in their own thoughts. Just then the door to the waiting room opened. A man entered wearing not a typical hospital lab coat but instead a suit and tie, a look that most certainly was meant to fit in better with the rather upscale image that the facility chose to portray.  
  
"Good morning," the man said cheerily. "I'm Dr. Rawlins. I understand that the four of you are here for Mr. Donovan."  
  
"That's right," Jake answered for the group. "Can you tell us about his condition? We've been waiting for several hours for an update."  
  
"Of course," the doctor replied while taking a seat near them. "I'm very sorry that it's taken so long to get back to you, but the truth is that we haven't had any information to give you."   
  
"What do you mean?" Monica inquired.  
  
"I mean that, unfortunately, Agent Donovan's condition hasn't changed at all. He is almost totally unresponsive to anything we say or do. He'll follow simple commands like to sit down or drink some water or such, but other than that, he remains in a nearly catatonic state. Of course we're still evaluating his condition and we're checking with the Justice Department to see if he's had any past history of such behavior."  
  
Jake looked at Alex and Monica before stating, "I think that it would be a safe bet to say that he has not ever displayed symptoms like this before. You don't rise to a position like Frank's with a background like what you're describing."  
  
The doctor nodded his head in response. "I understand, Agent….?"  
  
"Shaw. Jake Shaw."  
  
"Agent Shaw? Are you the agent that Frank spoke to earlier? The only one that he's addressed since this happened?"  
  
Jake sighed and then suddenly looked wearier than he felt. "Yeah……I guess that would be me."  
  
The doctor viewed Jake momentarily as if pondering something. "I have an idea, Agent Shaw. Since you're the only that he's responded to since the shooting, would you be willing to be part of an experiment?"  
  
Jake eyed the doctor suspiciously. "Experiment? What kind of experiment?" he asked.  
  
"Perhaps experiment is the wrong word. But with your cooperation, I'd like to try something."   
  
"Try what?"  
  
"If you'll come with me, Agent Shaw, I'll show you." The doctor then stood and motioned for Jake to follow him to the door. Jake looked back at Alex and Monica for moral support, and both waved their hands for him to follow the doctor out. Jake shrugged his shoulders and left the room. Just as the door closed, Alex and Monica heard a sound in the room. Both turned in it's direction.  
  
Cody slowly sat up, yawning and stretching like a cat. "Any word yet?" he asked groggily. The two women shook their heads in disgust before turning away from him. "What?" he asked innocently. "What'd I miss?"  
  
Jake followed Dr. Rawlins down a series of hallways. As they progressed, each doorway's level of security increased. By the time they reached the last doorway, a pass key, security code and voice scan were needed to enter. Jake could at least appreciate the fact that Frank would be completely safe. Of course, he couldn't help but wonder if the security doors were meant to keep people out or to keep people in.  
  
The doctor saw Jake eyeing the elaborate set-up. "I see you've noticed all of the security measures we have in place. This particular wing is intended for the criminally insane or the ultra-violent." He noticed Jake's immediate reaction to that statement, but quickly held up his hand before Jake could utter a word. "The only reason Agent Donovan was brought here was because it is the most secure area of the building," he said reassuringly. "Your associates made it quite clear that Agent Donovan was to be protected at all costs. And that is the only reason he was brought here instead of to another area of the facility." Jake nodded his understanding but was still bothered by the fact that Frank would be housed in the same wing with the criminally insane.  
  
The doctor stopped before an ordinary looking door. The only one, Jake noted, that didn't look like it was made of steel, and the only one that didn't have a rather severe looking lock attached to it. "This is the observation area. Agent Donovan has been brought into the adjacent room and from here we'll be able to watch him through a two-way mirror." The two entered the darkened room and could easily see through the large glass panel on the wall. Through that, Jake could see Frank sitting at a table staring off into space. The scene made him feel vaguely nauseous.   
  
"As I stated before, we haven't been able to get him to respond to us in any way. What I'd like to see is if he'll respond to you. Just like he did earlier. Are you willing to give it a try?" Jake continued to gaze through the glass and almost didn't hear the doctor's question, but then quickly snapped out of his intense stare and nodded in response.  
  
"Good. If you'll follow me, one of my associates will prepare you."  
  
"Prepare me? Prepare me for what?" Jake asked suspiciously.  
  
"What I meant to say was that my associate will make sure that you're not carrying anything harmful into the room with you." Jake scowled at the man, not sure at what he was getting at. "Your gun. Any other metal objects that you may have with you that could be potentially used as weapons. That sort of thing."  
  
"You think he could get violent?" Jake asked incredulously.  
  
"I highly doubt it. But there is always the chance that he could snap out of the catatonia at any moment and if he does, it's always possible that things could escalate quickly. I want to protect you and Agent Donovan in the event that would occur."   
  
"OK………let's do it." Jake then followed the doctor down the corridor to another room that looked more like an office area. There he was told to remove any item that was, or could be used as a weapon. After doing so, the assistant even used a metal detector wand over him to make sure that he didn't forget anything. After divesting himself of all those items, they once again approached the room that held Frank. Jake took a deep breath and motioned with his head for the other man to unlock the door.   
  
Jake entered the room cautiously, partly because he was keyed up but mostly because he didn't want to startle Frank. The room was simple. There was a table and four chairs and nothing else. The room was painted an off-white color and the tile on the floor was a very light beige. The only other things in the room were the mirror that lined one wall and a window without any sort of blinds or curtains. Frank sat with his back to the door facing that window.  
  
Jake edged his way further into the room, never taking his eyes from Frank's motionless form. As he made his way to the other side of the space, he turned to face Frank fully. Frank didn't acknowledge him any way. He simply continued to stare out the window. Jake pulled back the chair opposite him and sat down. The two sat in silence for several minutes.   
  
"Frank?" Jake said quietly. No response.  
  
"Frank………it's me……….Jake." Nothing. Jake sighed in frustration. He'd hoped that the doctor had been right about his assumption. He'd hoped that Frank would once again respond to him. Thinking about how best to gain his attention, Jake tried something else.  
  
"I did like you asked………I went with Kate to the hospital." Jake watched Frank's face for any response, but again nothing seemed to register. He turned away from Frank and crooked his head so that he too could look out the window. The sun was up now. The sky held a few clouds, but all in all, it looked like it would prove to be another clear, crisp fall day. Turning back toward Frank he nearly gasped when he realized that Frank was staring directly at him. The two locked gazes for several minutes before Frank finally said something.  
  
"Where……..," he began quietly, "where is she?" Jake paused not knowing how best to answer the question. Did he tell the truth or say something comforting trying to allay Frank's fears.   
  
"She's at the morgue, Frank," Jake responded, feeling that holding anything back could ultimately cause more damage. He watched as Frank slowly closed his eyes and inhaled, his breath catching as he did so. He stayed like that for several moments and when he opened his eyes once more, Jake swore that he'd just seen the man age twenty years. His eyes looked haunted and Jake shivered involuntarily seeing how utterly defeated he looked.   
  
Jake glanced at the mirror, wondering how far he should go with this contact. Not knowing if what he was doing was helping or hurting, he was hesitant to say anything further. When no one entered the room or nothing else occurred, Jake presumed that they wanted him to continue on.   
  
"I talked with the funeral director before I left her," he began eyeing Frank cautiously. "They'll be by this morning to pick her up. Do you know if there was anything special that she might've wanted?" Jake hated this conversation, but going on the assumption that the truth was better than candy-coating the facts, he continued on.   
  
Frank looked at him sadly and then finally answered. "She…..she told me once that…..she wanted…… to be cremated. 'Less fuss,' she said." Jake nodded.  
  
"No problem, Frank. I'll make sure it gets taken care of." After Jake answered him, he noticed that Frank's gaze once again became riveted on the window above his head. He was slipping into his unresponsive state once more. Jake sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. 'Well at least he answered some questions,' he thought to himself desolately. Figuring that that would be all that he'd be able to get out of him at the moment, Jake rose from the chair and quietly headed toward the door. Just as he reached it, he heard Frank's voice once more.  
  
"Afterwards………will you take her up to the mountains? She always loved the mountains. My parents owned a place in Montana. I haven't been there in years…….but you could take her there. Lots of trees……the mountains…….a small lake. She'll like it there." Jake paused waiting for him to continue, but he said nothing more.  
  
"Of course, Frank. I'll take care of it." Then he turned and knocked on the door signaling that he was ready to leave. Once out of the room, Jake leaned up against the wall and closed his eyes. Dr. Rawlins, who had been watching the whole exchange, opened the door to the observation room and joined Jake in the corridor.  
  
"That was amazing, Agent Shaw," the man stated excitedly. "You've done what none of us could do over the last six hours. Extraordinary. Obviously the key to getting him to open up, is to have him talk about this Kate." Jake looked at him with almost undisguised disgust.  
  
"Please, Agent Shaw……," the doctor quickly added having seen the look Jake just threw at him. "I'm not saying that we're going to exploit that fact or even that we're only going to focus on that. What I'm saying is that at this point, that seems to be the only thing that he's willing or able to respond to. We'll start there and work our way away from last evening's incident."   
  
"Right……sorry……it's been a long night," Jake said apologizing.  
  
"I understand. I'll take you back to where you're colleagues are waiting."  
  
As the two made their way through the seemingly endless maze of corridors, Jake finally worked up the nerve to ask what needed to be asked.  
  
"How long do you think he'll be in here?" The doctor turned to look at Jake and then answered truthfully.   
  
"I honestly don't know. There is no pathological reason for his state. Meaning that it's not caused by any physical cause or trauma. There is no chemical imbalance in his brain. The situation is caused by an emotionally catastrophic event. In some ways, it's easier to treat physical causes than emotional ones. How long he's here is completely up to him. He has to want to get better. And that being said, I would highly suggest that both you and your other colleagues visit him on a regular basis. Obviously contact like that can be invaluable, especially in this case."  
  
"Absolutely, Doc. You can count on us. We'll be here every day if that's what it takes." The doctor smiled at him.  
  
"Wonderful. Once we have him settled in, I'll call you and let you know how best we should proceed." Just then they arrived back at the waiting area where they had left the rest of the team. Jake turned to Dr. Rawlins and offered his hand. The doctor returned his handshake.  
  
"As I said, I'll get in touch with you very soon. I'll give you a few moments to fill the other agents in on what we've talked about and then I'll have one of the other staff members come by to escort the four of you out." Jake nodded and then entered the room. Alex, Monica and Cody were immediately on their feet.  
  
"So…..how did it go?"   
  
"What did they say?"   
  
"Did you see Frank?"   
  
"How did he look?"   
  
"Is there……." Jake held up his hands trying to stop the seemingly endless string of questions that the three had.  
  
"Whoa! One at a time, huh?" The three looked at him rather sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry Jake. We're just feeling a little out of the loop stuck here in this room. Know what I mean?' Alex explained.  
  
"Yeah. I hear ya. Let me tell you what I can. First of all, there really hasn't been any change. He's still pretty much unresponsive."  
  
"You said pretty much…….does that mean he spoke to you?" Monica inquired.  
  
"Yeah……..he said a few words. Only about Kate though. He wanted to make sure that she'd be taken care of. He told me that she wanted to be cremated and then he asked me to take her ashes to some place his parents owned in Montana. Any way you can find out where that might be, Cody?"  
  
"Not a problem. I'll have an address for you as soon as I can get to a computer."  
  
"Thanks. Other than that, the doc says that contact with the four of us could be the quickest and most effective way for him to get through this. I told him that all of us would do whatever we can to help out." The other three nodded their heads vigorously.  
  
"Anything else?" Alex asked.  
  
"No……not really. Just that we can rest assured that he's completely safe here." Alex, Monica and Cody eyed him curiously.  
  
"What do you mean?" Cody finally ventured.  
  
"He's being housed in the same wing with violent offenders and the criminally insane. The security protocols are amazing." He watched as each absorbed that bit of news, clearly as uneasy about it as he was. "I know……I'm not crazy about it either, but look at it this way. He'll be getting out… the rest of them won't. And if we wanted him to be somewhere safe, I'd say this would be at the top of the list." That seemed to ease their minds a bit……but not much.   
  
"Alright…..what do you say we see about getting out of here. I don't know about the rest of you, but I could sleep for a week." Deep down inside, he wondered if he'd ever be able to sleep soundly again. He was sure that he'd have nightmares. And in those nightmares he'd be back in the basement of that factory staring down the barrel of Kate's gun, watching her eyes dance crazily, wondering if she'd pull the trigger this time. Or would he replay in his head the same grisly scene over and over. The one where all of a sudden she freezes and her eyes fly open wide in shock as her blood begins to erupt from her open mouth, the result of having been shot directly through the heart. He'd watch in horror as she jarringly sinks to her knees only to fall flat on her face just seconds later. He knew he'd never forget the way his heart had pounded wildly in his chest, wondering how close he'd come to dying in her place. No, he was sure that that would be something he'd remember till the day he drew his last breath.  
  
  
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Four months later  
  
  
  
Jake entered the Nest at about 4:00 in the afternoon. He found the rest of the team working steadily away at some paperwork.  
  
"Hey…….how'd it go?" Alex asked. "Any news yet?"  
  
Jake joined the others at the conference table. "Yep………actually I do have some news. He's being released tomorrow."  
  
"Really?" Monica inquired cheerfully. "That's fantastic. How's Frank feel about that?" she asked knowing how apprehensive he'd seemed last time she'd talked to him. She understood how he felt. Patients of any type, and even prison inmates, felt the same way. For weeks, months or sometimes years, they'd known only what was going on in their confined little world and when faced with the idea of having absolute freedom, many felt anxious about the transition.   
  
"Well……I can tell he's a little uneasy about it, but I know he'll be fine. He'll just need a little time to adjust, that's all."  
  
"Yeah," Cody interjected, "he'll be fine. After all, he's got all of us, right? I mean….come on….we've gotten this far. The rest is a cake walk."  
  
"Right. Anyway…….any news here?" Jake inquired.  
  
"Not really……not yet. Tom said he'd stop by this afternoon. We haven't seen him yet," Alex informed him.  
  
"I wonder what was decided," Cody worried. "I mean, don't tell me that he's gone through all this therapy just to be faced with criminal charges. They can't possibly mean to charge him with anything……can they?"  
  
"I guess that's what we're gonna find out," Alex answered. "I just wish he'd get here." As if on cue, they heard the door open.  
  
"Hey everyone. Sorry I'm late. Traffic was hell getting here from the airport," Tom informed them. He looked at their expectant faces. "Right……..how about I skip the chit chat."  
  
"I think we'd all appreciate that," Jake stated.   
  
"Well…..," he started, "I just came from a meeting this morning with all the Justice Department heads and this is what has been decided. To say that this whole incident has been an embarrassment would be an understatement. Not one but two FBI directors were involved in this which is bad enough, but then also three members of the CIA as well. A seemingly innocent agent was shot dead and one of their best agents has suffered a mental breakdown. The five men that masterminded the whole thing are being held in an undisclosed location for probably the rest of their lives. They only question mark in their book was Frank and what to do about him." Tom paused as he paced around the table where the four sat.   
  
"As you know they've been questioning and debating about whether or not to bring him up on any sort of charges. Well that was pretty much thrown out the window in light of the latest revelations. If the meeting had been held before all involved were taken into custody, who knows what would've happened. Hell…..they might've even found a way to make that aiding and abetting charge stick. But like I said considering the circumstances, he's free and clear." He looked around the table and saw that the team didn't look quite as pleased as he expected them to be.  
  
"Guys……this is good news. What's up?"  
  
Jake looked at the other three before answering. "I guess this sounds a little selfish, but……what happens to us? What about this team? Are they going to allow Frank to come back here?" Tom sighed knowing that they wouldn't like what he had to say next.  
  
"No. He won't be back. Granted, there were no charges filed, but there are two things they can't ignore. First……he became personally involved with a then presumed suspect. And second……..they question his ability to mentally handle the ongoing stress of this job." He saw them all building up to a large argument, so he immediately interrupted before they had the chance.   
  
"And there's one more thing you should know………I've already spoken to Frank. They've given him the choice to return to active duty and he's declined. He handed in his resignation about an hour ago."  
  
  
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Next chapter: Frank's future  
  
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	22. Chapter Twentytwo

Nowhere To Run  
The Final Chapter  
  
  
  
Jake glanced out the window and watched the same stretch of road speed by him. He'd driven this very road at least……well, it seemed to be at least a hundred times since Frank had been admitted to Brookside. At least four, if not five times a week, he'd visited his boss (his former boss, he corrected himself), just like he'd promised the doctor he would. And if he couldn't make it, another member of the team always managed to. Hell…..they'd even given up spending Christmas with their families in order to keep Frank company. He chuckled to himself thinking how things always seemed to change between Frank and himself over the years that the two had worked together.   
  
At first, Jake had thought Frank was pompous, anal, and totally unbending. The two had butted heads continually in the beginning. Then, over time Jake had started to appreciate Frank's type of discipline. He had to admit that under his supervision, the team had started to run like a well-oiled machine. But sure enough, a case would come along and the two would differ about how best to approach it. The case involving Kate had been a prime example. Of course, no one had expected things to go down the way they did. And now, over the course of the past four months, he had become Frank's lifeline to the outside world. He shook his head thinking about the irony of it all.  
  
"What's that all about?"  
  
Jake glanced at the woman riding along with him. He'd wanted to go to pick up Frank by himself, but Monica had insisted on going with him stating that she wanted to have one last conversation with the doctors at the facility before Frank was released.   
  
"It's nothing……..just thinking about how things have gone between Donovan and I in the past."   
  
"Ahhhh………the love/hate relationship thing." Jake shot her a disapproving look, so she quickly explained what she meant. "You know……kind of like being family. You love your family but sometimes they can really get on your nerves. They can make you so mad that you think you could actually do the other harm, but in the end, you'd lay down your life for the other. That's what I meant."  
  
Jake pondered what she'd said. He'd never had a family of his own, so he didn't have a very clear picture of how it should all be, but he was pretty sure that this team had become the closest thing he'd ever have to one. Nodding his head in understanding, Jake once again turned his attention to the passing roadway.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. They exited the truck and made their way into the building. They approached the reception desk, and found one of the staff ready and waiting for them.  
  
"Agent Shaw. Agent Davis. Please have a seat. The doctors are just finishing up the last of the paperwork and what-not with Agent Donovan. They should be finished any moment now and then they'll escort him out to meet you."   
  
"Thank you," Monica said politely. "I was wondering though if it would be possible for me to have a word privately with one of the doctors before we leave."  
  
"I'm sure that can be arranged. I'll mention it to them when they bring Agent Donovan out." Monica smiled at the girl in appreciation and then she and Jake settled into their chairs, not knowing exactly how long it would take.  
  
Several minutes passed before Frank was escorted out to meet them, flanked by two doctors dressed in their signature Brooks Brothers suits. Monica and Jake rose to meet them.  
  
At first there was an awkward silence, but suddenly Monica couldn't hold back any longer. She approached Frank and gave him a long hug, which he returned readily. He pulled back and graced her with one of those rare Donovan smiles. He didn't say a word to her, but then, words weren't really needed or even quite enough for this occasion. He glanced past Monica to look at Jake. The two men eyed each other not knowing exactly what to do next.  
  
"Ah hell…….," Jake finally said as he walked up to Frank and gave him a big bear hug. Frank had to chuckle at the uncharacteristic show of emotion, from either one of them he noted to himself. The two pulled back from each other.  
  
"What do you say to getting me the hell out of here?" Frank said with a smile in his voice. A big grin slowly appeared on Jake's face.  
  
"You got it, but I think Monica wants to have a final word with the doctors here, before we go," Jake informed him.  
  
Frank turned toward her. "What? You want to second guess the experts here? Or you don't trust me to be able to remember everything?" he asked her with the straightest face he could muster. Monica stared back at him slightly flustered. She looked back and forth between the doctors and Frank. Then just about the time that she was ready to refute his statement or at the very least apologize, she noticed the hint of mischievousness in Frank's eyes.   
  
"You can be a real ass sometimes, Donovan," she said in mock annoyance. Frank threw his head back and laughed heartily as Monica stood there in shock. It had seemed to have been forever since she'd even seen the man smile, let alone break into peels of laughter. She glanced at Jake who just seemed to take it all in like it was an every day occurrence. Shaking her head, she approached the two doctors who had escorted Frank out, leaving the two men alone temporarily.   
  
Frank slowly regained his composure. Jake just smiled at him. "Feel better," he asked Frank.  
  
"Somewhat. I'll really start to feel better when we're a good twenty miles or so away from here."   
  
"We'll be on the road in a few minutes and then you can start to put everything that happened in this place behind you."  
  
"It can't be soon enough, Jake………..it can't be soon enough," he stated simply. He turned to eye Monica as she spoke to the doctors. "What did she want to talk to them about?"   
  
Jake shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. But knowing Monica, I'd say she just wants to make sure there's nothing that we should be made aware of."  
  
Frank looked at him perplexed. "Like what?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe things like residual nightmares……….any medications that they might still have you on……that sort of thing."   
  
Frank nodded in understanding. "It hasn't been easy, has it?" he asked turning back to Jake.  
  
"You have no idea." The two men just stared at each other in empathy.  
  
Monica finished her conversation and then joined the two. "I don't know about you," she began, "but if I never see this place again, it'll be too soon. Let's go."  
  
The three of them exited Brookside for the last time. When Frank was almost to Jake's truck, he turned to stare at the façade of the building.  
  
"Frank? You OK?" Monica asked with concern.  
  
Without taking his eyes off the place he said, "I just wanted to take one last look……you know…….kind of like finishing the last page of a book." He hesitated a few seconds longer and then joined Monica and Jake as they stood waiting for him. He slid into the front seat and never looked back.  
  
A little over an hour later they pulled up in front of the Nest. Before they even got to within 10 feet of the building the door flew open and a very exuberant Alex and Cody shouted out their greetings. Frank smiled at their enthusiasm. He allowed Jake and Monica to enter first and then followed, knowing that once inside he'd be subjected to another barrage of hugs. It occurred to him that just over four months earlier, none of his team would have even considered doing so. Now it seemed the order of the day.  
  
After the initial good wishes, he looked around the place almost like he'd never seen it before. Everything was exactly as he remembered it, but in some ways it also felt completely foreign. There was one change, however, from when the last time he set foot in the building. He stopped before the bank of windows that he had smashed with a chair in order to facilitate their escape. The glass, of course, had been replaced long ago.  
  
The team watched Frank anxiously as he perused the area. When they saw him stop before the once broken windows, all present practically held their breath. Jake noticed that as Frank stood there, his right hand moved to unconsciously rub his left forearm. He had cut his arm on the broken shards, and it was the blood that had dripped from that wound that had led Jake and the others to where Frank and Kate had hidden.  
  
Frank realized what he was doing and looked down at his left arm. 'Just one more scar,' he thought to himself forlornly. He turned to look at the group and noticed how tense they were. Knowing how they worried about him, he gave them a smile to let them know that he was alright. 'I'm not the only one who has scars to endure,' he thought remorsefully. There was so much he wanted to tell them, but he was at a loss as to where to start. As he opened his mouth to try, he heard the door open.  
  
An unfamiliar person entered and stopped when he saw Frank. The two eyed each other warily. Frank, because he had no idea who this stranger was and the other, because he was unsure of how best to introduce himself. Finally Jake stepped forward to break the awkward silence.  
  
"David…….this is Frank Donovan. Frank…….this is David Cooke. David's been assigned as the team's new leader." The two men shook hands cordially.   
  
"Frank……….I've heard quite a bit about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," David stated sincerely. Frank looked at the man suspiciously.  
  
"I'm sure you have heard quite a bit," he said with a slight edge in his voice. David's eyes grew wide when he realized what Frank was probably referring to.  
  
"What I should have said was that this group has done nothing but sing your praises since I got here. They obviously have quite a deal of respect for you, and from what I've heard myself, I'd say it's well founded. And actually………I have to admit to being a tad bit nervous about taking over this team." David paused to look at the other four agents in the room. "I'd say I have some rather large shoes to fill."  
  
Frank observed the man closely. From what he could sense, he was telling the truth. He couldn't help himself, but he still felt overly protective of the four of them. They'd come a long way together, through thick and thin. Sensing that they would indeed be in good hands, Frank finally relaxed a bit.  
  
"Yeah….well……….I'd say that I was the lucky one. One of my instructors once told me that 'you're only as good as the sum of the people that work for you' and in that respect, I'd say I was truly blessed." He too turned to face Jake, Alex, Monica and Cody. He searched each of their faces and for the first time, actually felt a twinge of regret about resigning. Still looking at them, Frank added, "and if I ever hear that they're not treated well, I'll personally come back and kick your ass." He then turned his head to look at David. At first the man started to smile thinking that Frank was kidding but the smile slowly slipped from his face when he realized that he was being serious.   
  
David stared at Frank for perhaps a minute too long before finally saying, "Don't worry. I have every intention of treating them as fairly as they treat me." Frank studied the main seriously for several heartbeats before a smile slowly formed on his lips.  
  
"Well……in that case, I'll get out of your way. You'll have to excuse me but I'm rather anxious to pick up the pieces of what's left of my life," Frank stated.  
  
"Of course," David said in return. "I'm sure that one of the team would be more than willing to give you a lift to wherever you need to be." Frank held up his hand in protest.  
  
"Thank you, but there's no need. I'll call a cab. I think I've taken up enough of this team's time. It's time for them to get back to work." Frank knew that in the four months since his hospitalization, the team hadn't been given any new cases. They'd spent that time following up on previous assignments and helping out other law enforcement groups.   
  
"Are you sure?" Alex asked. "I'd be happy to drop you off somewhere, maybe even help you get settled again."   
  
Frank smiled at her and the rest in appreciation. "It's OK, Alex. I can be left alone. I don't need someone to watch over me 24-7. I mean eventually I need to start pulling things back together and now's as good a time as any."   
  
The four of them just stared back at him almost afraid to blink as if doing so would cause him to disappear out of their lives again. Frank began to feel a little uncomfortable under their prolonged scrutiny.  
  
"OK…..that's enough. You're all acting like we're never going to see each other again. If it's alright with your boss here, maybe I'll drop by from time to time. We'll catch up…….it'll be fine."  
  
"You're welcome here anytime, Frank," David interjected.   
  
Frank turned to him. "Thank you. I appreciate that." Then turning back to the group he added, "See……he's not such a bad guy. He's not anything like what you thought I was when I first joined up." The four smiled sheepishly. He thought back over the rocky start that the five of them had had together. He thought they were all talented but unfocused and lacking discipline. They, on the other hand, thought he was unbending and dictatorial. But somehow they'd all managed to forge an unbreakable bond, at least he hoped that it would remain unbreakable. With one last look at each of their faces, Frank decided it was truly time to leave.  
  
"Well…….I really do have to go. I made plane reservations for tomorrow night, and I have a lot to do before then."   
  
"Plane reservations?" Monica asked concerned. "Where are you planning on going? Someplace warm and sunny?"  
  
"Ahhh……actually I'm going to Montana," he revealed. If they didn't look concerned before, they sure did now.  
  
"Montana………you sure that's a good idea?" Monica asked warily. They all knew that Frank had asked Jake to take Kate's ashes to his parents' place in Montana. Knowing that that was where he was most likely headed didn't sit well with any of them.  
  
Frank sighed in understanding. He didn't know how best to clarify his intentions, but he figured that he owed them an explanation. "I know what you're thinking and in your place, I'd be thinking the same thing. But please try to understand……….I never got a chance to say goodbye. This is something that I need to do. I have to finally close this chapter of my life before I can truly move on. I'm not sure if that makes sense to you or not…….."  
  
"It does," Jake replied. "I think it's a good idea actually. You should get a chance to finally put this all behind you." Frank smiled at him appreciatively. He sensed that the others may not quite share Jake's opinion, but he knew them well enough to know that none of them would make a move to stop him.  
  
"So…….I'll talk to all of you in a few days or so," he said uneasily. "But first….if you don't mind David, I'd like to use the phone."   
  
"Please Frank…..you don't even need to ask," David returned as he motioned for Frank to use the phone on a nearby desk. Frank nodded his thanks and moved off to complete his call.  
  
Before the other three could chime in with their words of concern, Jake quickly hushed them up. "I know….I know. You're not happy about his decision. But it's his life and he's gotta live it as he sees fit. Let the man be."  
  
"That's easier said than done Jake," Monica added emphatically. "He's just spent the last four months of his life holed up in a mental hospital, and now the first thing he wants to do is to visit the remains of the woman that he shot dead. Even you have to admit that this may not be the wisest course for him to take."   
  
Jake saw her point, but he wasn't sure how he could adequately explain why he understood Frank's reasoning. "Monica……..I understand your apprehension. I really do. What I'm saying is that Frank's had a lot of time to think about this. It's not like he all of a sudden woke this morning and decided what he needed to do. He's been talking about this for weeks now. Maybe he didn't mention it to you because he knew what your reaction would be. But the bottom line is……..we have to let him go. It's his life……..let's let him live it."  
  
Frank finished on the phone and turned to see the four agents with their heads together across the room. He glanced at David who stood patiently away from them taking in the situation as best as he could. He approached him while still keeping an eye on the obvious argument that seemed to be progressing.  
  
"Sorry…….I know this is a big disruption for you. I'll say my final goodbye and then I'll be on my way." David eyed Frank knowingly.  
  
"They care about you……..that's obvious. I was just standing here wondering if a day will ever come when they'll worry about me like they do over you."   
  
"Give them time. When I first joined them, they all hated my guts." David stared back at him in disbelief. "I'm serious………ask them sometime. So you see……I'd say you already have a head start." David shook his head and chuckled slightly. Frank moved away from the man and headed for the cluster in the corner.  
  
"OK………break it up. Enough second guessing my motives. I'm going to Montana whether you like it or not," he stated with mock indignation. But soon his stern expression gave way to something gentler. "All I can say is that I really need to do this. So if you care about me at all, you'll just accept that it's going to happen." The four glanced from one to the other and finally Frank could see their expressions change. They didn't like it, but they'd accept his decision.  
  
"Good……..now that that's over, I really do need to go. My taxi will be here any minute. Like I said I'll call in a few days. But please………don't worry. I'll be alright."   
  
"We're accepting your decision to do this, but please don't ask us not to worry," Alex said on behalf of the others. Frank smiled in understanding, knowing that some things would never change.  
  
He turned then and started for the door. He stopped as he reached the exit and looked back once more at the four people who had become closer to him than family. He smiled at them yet again and then left.   
  
  
/////////////////////////////////////////  
  
  
2 months later  
  
  
Jake drove through the banks of trees that flanked the almost deserted country road. He'd left what he would consider to be civilization about an hour ago. The further he got away from the city, the rougher the road became. He'd driven this same road once before and he was amazed yet again at how breathtaking the scenery was. The last time he'd been here, it had been the fall. The leaves had shone in brilliant reds, yellows and oranges then. And now, six months later, he was struck by how vividly green all the foliage was. And as if on cue there was a break in the tree line and he could see the Rocky Mountains in the background. He almost slammed on the brakes wanting to take time to drink it all in, but he knew that he was expected soon. So instead, he headed on to his destination.   
  
After a series of more twists and turns, he finally pulled onto a simple gravel road that led even further into the wilderness. A little while down the drive there was a small clearing off to the left and he almost went by it without a second glance but something out of the ordinary caught his eye. A Land Rover was parked near a small lake. Instead of continuing on, Jake pulled up next to the other vehicle and turned off the engine. At first he didn't see the SUV's owner, but then he spotted a solitary figure standing at the water's edge some thirty feet away. He slowly walked in that direction and waited until he was within 5 feet before he spoke.  
  
"Hey Frank. What're you doing out here? I thought we were supposed to meet up at the cabin?" Frank turned to greet the younger man.  
  
"We were. I was just checking one of the security cameras. There are times when I miss having Cody nearby to work his mechanical wizardry."   
  
"What's the problem?" Jake asked, looking around trying to spot the trouble.  
  
"One of the cameras wasn't transmitting. I think I fixed it though." Jake again looked into the tree canopy, trying to spot the offending device. After several minutes he gave up.  
  
"OK……I give up. Where is it?" he finally asked. Frank smiled triumphantly and pointed to a knot hole in a nearby tree trunk. Jake moved over to it and couldn't spot it until he was at least two feet away.   
  
"Well I'll be damned," he barely stated above a whisper. "I would've never seen that. Are they all that well hidden?" Jake knew that Frank had installed cameras around the entire perimeter of the rather large property. Maybe it was overkill, but Frank refused to take any further chances.   
  
"Yep……it took Tom and I a week or more to place them all, and then another week to fine tune the system. No one can make a move on this property without me knowing about it."  
  
"Impressive," Jake said in awe. "So are you finished here, or do you need a hand?"  
  
"All done. Let's head on up to the house." The two then returned to their respective vehicles and made their way up the remainder of the gravel road. As they pulled up to the large cabin that graced the property, Jake was once again struck by how utterly beautiful this place was. The land was awe-inspiring and, of course, the house looked like something out of Architectural Digest. It was a large A-framed structure with unusually large windows that were tinted so that no prying eyes could see inside, and quite a bit of the house was timber framed with stone accents.   
  
Frank noticed that Jake had stopped, so he joined him as he continued his perusal. "Something wrong?" Frank asked, noticing Jake's intense stare.  
  
"No…….I'm just trying to figure out how you never decided to settle down here before. I mean…..this place is incredible, Frank. The trees……the mountains…..the clean air…….this house. Good God, this house is…..is…..well it's…..wow…" Frank chuckled at Jake's inability to articulate.  
  
"Well thank you, but honestly my parents' deserve all the credit for this place. They picked out the land, they had it built. And as for not moving here before…..let's just say that I had other priorities before." Jake nodded knowingly.  
  
The two stood there for a minute longer and then Frank finally broke the silence. "So how is everyone?" he asked anxiously.  
  
Jake sighed sadly and then replied. "They're pissed."   
  
"Still?"   
  
Jake turned to look at his former boss. "Come on Frank…..how would you feel in their place?"   
  
"Yeah…..I guess you're right. I just figured that they'd start to get over it by now, that's all."  
  
"They are…..I think they just need more time. It's been a lot to handle."  
  
"I'm really sorry that you had to get caught in the middle of all of this. I mean….." Jake motioned for Frank to stop.  
  
"Don't……I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, when I volunteered for this. And I did volunteer, Frank. Don't forget that." Frank shook his head unconvinced.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder if things could have been handled differently. Maybe you wouldn't have had to lie so much." Jake looked at Frank and could see the guilt that he still carried around, rearing it's ugly head.  
  
"Frank……I'm glad I could help. I'd do it again without thinking twice. And as for the lies…..well, we both know that that was for everyone's own good. If something had gone horribly wrong, they could've all answered truthfully that they had no idea what was really happening."   
  
"Maybe…….."  
  
"Maybe nothing," Jake said trying to end this particular conversation. "How about you offer me a beer and we'll all sit down and catch up? Where is Kate anyway?" As if on cue, the front door opened at that exact second.  
  
"Did I hear my name?" she asked cheerfully bounding down the front steps.  
  
"You certainly did. I was trying to get Frank here to lighten up a bit and stop feeling so guilty about everything." Kate walked over to Frank and put her arm possessively around his waist and gazed up into his soft brown eyes.  
  
"He does love to feel guilty, doesn't he?" she stated playfully. "I think it's his worst fault. That and the fact that he can't play golf to save his life."  
  
Frank couldn't help but smile at her mischievousness. Any time that she was near him, his mood would lighten noticeably. Perhaps it was as a result of having been separated from her for so long. That had been the worse part of this whole charade, he thought to himself. The four months that they'd spent apart when he was at Brookside had been agonizing. A situation, he promised himself, that would never happen again.  
  
"Ok you two. This is not bash Frank day. And….. I believe I owe Jake a beer." Then taking Kate's hand he led the way into the house. They walked into a large, very airy great room. The ceiling was open up to the roof's rafters. The furniture was large and comfortable and the main attraction to the room was a huge fire place.   
  
"Have a seat and I'll get our drinks," Frank ordered. He moved off to the kitchen leaving Kate and Jake alone.  
  
"So how is he really?" Jake asked quietly.   
  
"He's good……we're good. I just think he still feels guilty about what he put everyone else through, including you." Jake sighed knowing that some things would never change. "I know Frank's talked to you several times since you told everyone our big secret, but he was kind of vague on the details when I asked him what happened. So…..?"  
  
"Well, what can I say. They were mad…..livid actually. They felt used. They thought we didn't trust them, and I can't say I blame them for any of it. We had them jumping through hoops and now they feel betrayed."  
  
"I'm sorry, Jake. I really am. When Frank first told me about this elaborate plan that he and Tom had come up with, I knew that you and the rest of the team were the ones who were really going to pay for this."   
  
Having been so entranced in their conversation, neither heard Frank's return. "What have you two got your heads together about?"   
  
Kate considered coming up with an excuse, but decided that she was through with lying. "I'm trying to get Jake to spill the beans about how everything really went down back in Chicago."  
  
"Kate….." Frank began exasperated.   
  
"Donovan…..don't Kate me! I want to know exactly what went on. So shush!" she demanded. Frank's eyebrow rose at her tone of voice, but instead of being annoyed, he was amused.  
  
Jake chuckled watching the two together. No one else he knew could get away with telling Frank Donovan to shut up. And what was even more amazing was that he actually did keep quiet.   
  
Kate turned her attention back to Jake. "You were saying, before we were so rudely interrupted," she added giving Frank a quick wink out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Still smiling at the two, Jake continued. "I've given them all the arguments for why we had to keep all of this to ourselves, but they still feel like we just didn't trust them enough to know the truth." He leaned forward in his seat resting his arms on his legs and intently staring at his hands. "Monica and Cody have started to come around. Their not happy about it, but on some psychological level they understand that we were only trying to protect them. It's Alex that I'm worried about though. I've started to doubt whether she'll ever fully forgive me."  
  
"She will Jake. You just have to give her some more time," Kate said reassuringly. "The two of you are partners. You're two halves of the same whole. She'll get there, don't worry." Jake looked up at her understanding eyes and smiled.  
  
"If that's what it takes, I've got all the time in the world. I just wished that we didn't have to keep them in the dark about Frank's stay at Brookside. I think that hurts more than anything else."  
  
"I know," Frank began, "I felt the same way. All of them would come to visit and I'd see the fear and concern in their eyes and it tore me up. It took everything I had not to respond to them. But it had to be that way. If I'd been free and roaming around before the rest of the men responsible for this mess had been brought into custody, it was almost a certain bet that I'd have been targeted again. They couldn't get Tom to kill me, so they certainly would have found someone else, and that would have put the rest of you in danger as well." Jake nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"I mean let's face it," Frank continued on, "this whole operation was a house of cards. If one part hadn't gone as planned, the entire scheme would have collapsed. Everyone had to believe that you were really going to turn me in, including Lindford and his cronies. The crucial part was getting Tom's involvement. He put himself in a position to be the one that they'd turn to either target Kate or myself or both. He taped the conversation with Lindford, he arranged for the fake ambulance to pick up Kate's dead body….."  
  
"That was a nice piece of acting by the way," Jake interjected. "I mean I really thought you were coming unhinged the way you're hands were shaking and your eyes were darting around. And then when Frank shot you……Jesus, for a moment I thought something had gone wrong. The blood looked so real and the way your eyes just froze and you sank to the floor…….amazing. You would've made one hell of a UC. I was convinced that's for sure."  
  
"Oh, thank you very much," Kate said embarrassed. "Let's just say that I had motivation enough to make sure that it looked real. And let's just thank God that it was rather dark in that basement, or the blood wouldn't have been so convincing. It was just those blood capsules that you can get at any magic shop. And for the record, the stuff tastes like shit." Frank and Jake both chuckled at that. "And just to top it all off, the stuff that we used to make it look like I was bleeding out, stains. I was laying there on that cold floor for so long that the crap had enough time to thoroughly coat just about every inch of the front of my body. Afterwards I looked like I'd been out sunbathing for too long and got just the front of me burnt. I swear I didn't think it was ever going to come off. I'm sure I lost a good two or three layers of skin trying to scrub it off."   
  
"Well, all I can say is that I was thoroughly convinced," Jake revealed. "I seriously had nightmares for the first couple of weeks after it all went down, reliving what happened in that factory. I mean I knew you weren't really dead and it still wouldn't go away. Hell, I'm the one that brought you up here, and I still had visions of what happened."  
  
"That's what makes you good at your job," Frank told him. "When you're UC, you're totally immersed in the character and the storyline. You had to still maintain that façade of belief around everyone else, so that's why it lingered as long as it did."  
  
"Speaking of being good at your job…..that was one hell of a job convincing everyone that you were really out of it," Jake said to Frank. "That first night when they admitted you, I was convinced that you weren't acting. The way you kept that up for so long was pretty impressive."  
  
"I told him he could have a second career as an undercover agent," Kate stated leaning over to Frank and entwining her arm with his.  
  
"I thought you said I had a promising career as a car thief?" he asked her playfully.  
  
"No…..actually I said that you had a promising career as an auto thief slash criminal behavior analyst. So I guess we just add undercover agent to that list."   
  
"Well……I for one am glad that the whole thing's over. I hate lying to people that I care about," Frank informed them.  
  
"Amen to that," Jake added.  
  
"OK then……I'm going to go and get dinner ready. Jake…..I made up a room for you to stay in. It's the one to the right of the fireplace. Why don't you go get your stuff and get settled."  
  
"Yes ma'am," Jake answered politely. Kate smiled in response and then she moved off to the kitchen. After she left the room, Frank turned to Jake.  
  
"Need a hand with your things?"  
  
"Sure. Why not?" Jake answered. The two left the house and returned to Jake's rented vehicle.  
  
"So what's the real story with you and Alex?" Frank asked out of the blue.  
  
Startled, Jake responded, "Excuse me?"  
  
"I said, what's really going on between you and Alex?" Jake stared at Frank not sure how to respond, so Frank continued. "Jake…..I thought for sure that you told her what was really going on a long time ago. One day she came into work and she couldn't look me in the eye. I just figured it was because you'd told her the whole story and she was either…..one….. mad at me for not including her, or…..two……she thought it would get you in trouble if I found out that she knew. So if it's not either one of those things, then what happened?"  
  
Jake stopped fumbling with his luggage and then turned to stare at Frank. "I screwed up……big time. I…..Jesus I can't believe I did this…..I called her one night. A couple of days before it all went down. I felt isolated. I couldn't really talk to you, and I sure as hell couldn't talk to anyone else on the team. I just needed to connect to someone, so naturally I called Alex. I think maybe I intended to tell her everything, but once she met me at this bar, I couldn't bring myself to put her in that kind of danger." Jake stopped and shuffled his feet for a few moments. "Anyway…..we had a couple of drinks. We talked, but she could tell that I really wasn't telling her what was on my mind. She kept pushing. I tried to distract her by bringing up other things but she kept coming back to it, soooo…….I tried something else to distract her……..I kissed her." Jake glanced at Frank and was surprised to see that he wasn't surprised, or at least he didn't look surprised.  
  
"And….?" Frank prompted.  
  
"And……at first she seemed really shocked and then…….well, let's just say that she returned the favor… in spades. Somehow we ended up back at my place and well……you can guess the rest." Jake looked down at his shoes afraid to look Frank in the eye.  
  
"So…..what do you plan on doing about it?" Frank asked calmly.   
  
"Do about it?" Jake asked confused.  
  
"I mean, do you plan on running away from the situation, or do you plan on trying to make it right?"  
  
"I'm not running," Jake tried to refute.  
  
"Oh really….." Frank said sarcastically. "Is that why you're here and not back in Chicago trying to work it out with Alex and the rest of the team?" Jake tried to respond, but Frank stopped him.  
  
"You have to figure out what you really want in life, Jake. If what happened between you and Alex was a mistake, then the two of you need to sit down and work out how to mend your friendship, but if this is a relationship you want to pursue then you damn well better get back there and stop running away." He paused to look at the younger man. "Jake…..I've spent the better part of my adult life running away from serious relationships. When I look back on all of the wasted years I spent alone….."  
  
"Yeah, but just think…..if you'd found someone before, then you wouldn't have Kate in your life now, would you?" Frank had to smile at Jake's brand of logic.  
  
"You may have a point, Agent Shaw," Frank said with a smile.  
  
"I have my moments. But I'll think about what you said. But honestly, I'm not sure what I want. I just knew that being in Chicago right now was suffocating me."  
  
Changing the subject, Frank said, "Let's go see what Kate's making for dinner."  
  
So the two climbed the steps once more and moved inside. About an hour later, the three sat down to a sumptuous feast. The talk was lively, a couple bottles of wine were consumed, and all in all the evening was passed in pleasant company. Then around 11:00 or so, Jake excused himself stating that the day had been long and that he was exhausted. Frank and Kate bid him goodnight as he entered the room that Kate had prepared for him.  
  
A little while later, the couple made their way to the master bedroom on the second floor. After changing into her nightgown, Kate sat on the edge of bed combing her hair, lost in thought over the day's events. Frank approached her, took the brush out of her hand, put it on the bedside table and then knelt down in front of her.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" he asked as he rubbed his hands up and down her thighs.  
  
She smiled warmly, and then answered. "I'm worried about him."  
  
Frank shook his head. "He'll be alright. He just needs time to heal, just like the rest of us."  
  
"Maybe, but then he doesn't have anyone to help him get over it."  
  
Frank smiled knowingly, "Maybe…..maybe not." Kate's interest was piqued. She studied his face looking for the clues that she knew were hidden there. After a few seconds of perusal, her eyes flew open.  
  
"Alex?" she asked in astonishment. Frank was taken back by her leap of logic.   
  
"What made you say that?" He asked curiously.  
  
"It was the way he talked about her earlier. Gosh……I guess it all makes sense. Wow………you think it'll work out? You know…the two of them?"  
  
"Hmmm…….I don't know. They're both stubborn as hell, but then they're fiercely loyal to each other……..maybe."  
  
Leaning forward, Kate gave Frank a light kiss. "You know what I want?" He smiled at her devilishly.  
  
"Is that a question or a statement."  
  
"Either……but the answer is……I don't want to talk about Jake Shaw anymore."  
  
"You don't?" Frank responded as he slowly stood and then pushed Kate further onto the bed.  
  
"Nope…..I don't want to talk about him….the team…..anything whatsoever to do with anything that ever happened in either one of our lives…..," she responded as she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face as he lowered himself slowly so that he was laying on top of her. He kissed her gently, taking the time to thoroughly investigate her lips.  
  
"Hmmm……then I wonder what you could possibly want," he said as he nuzzled her neck.  
  
"Here let me show you," she said as she brought his mouth to hers, joining in a heated kiss.   
  
  
  
A few hours later the two lay together, physically exhausted but happy and content. Neither was asleep, but simply enjoying the closeness that they both felt after a night of intense love-making.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Frank asked quietly as he lay on his back, his arms wrapped around the woman that he loved more than life itself.  
  
"I was wondering if it's possible that I really did die in that basement."  
  
Frank pulled back slightly so that he could see her face as she lay against his chest. "What made you say that?" he asked confused.  
  
"Not too long ago, my idea of heaven was living in a beautiful house in the middle of a myriad of trees with the mountains in the distance. I wanted nothing more than to wake up every morning and see your face. And more importantly, my idea of heaven was falling asleep in your arms every night after we made love." She raised herself on one elbow so that she could see him more clearly. "I have all that…..I never thought I would. I never let myself even realistically hope for it. And now…..well it all just seems too good to be true. That's why I was wondering if I really am dead, and this really is heaven."   
  
He watched her eyes in the moonlight and could see that she was being serious. He brought his hand to her face and gently traced his fingers across her cheek.  
  
"Would it matter if it wasn't real?" he asked.  
  
She studied him for a moment longer before answering. "As long as the two of us are together, I don't really care. I just don't want to wake up tomorrow and find out that it was all a dream."  
  
"It's no dream, I can assure you of that. Now…….let's get some sleep. The morning will come all too early." Kate settled back against him, and sighed happily.  
  
"I love you," she muttered quietly as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
"And I love you too," he whispered in return, knowing that she was already asleep. Frank laid there for at least another hour before he too succumbed. He liked to lay quietly late at night and ponder the incredible turn his life had taken. Not so long ago, he could have never imagined being so delightfully happy. The thought made him smile and subconsciously he tightened his hold around Kate. And with his last thought being of her, he slipped into blissful, restful sleep.  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
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My final thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed my story!! As I stated 22 chapters ago, this was my first attempt at writing fan fiction, and the experience has turned into something so much more than I had ever expected it to be!   
  
So one last time………THANK YOU…..THANK YOU…….THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
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